The Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture ISSM 2016-"The Man Who Knew Too Much": Time to Recognize Erectile Dysfunction and Low Testosterone as Independent Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Graham Jackson introduced the concept that erectile dysfunction (ED) is a marker for undiagnosed cardiovascular (CV) disease and future events. In the Princeton 3 guidelines, he recognized the important impact of testosterone deficiency (TD) on all-cause and CV mortality. Recent evidence suggests that testosterone therapy to target levels and for sufficient duration decreases CV events. Unfortunately, this had a modest impact on CV disease management because ED is not incorporated into current risk calculators. This report is based on the Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture presented at the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) in Beijing in 2016.

Aim: To examine recent evidence as to whether ED should be upgraded to a risk factor, especially with the high predictive value in younger men, and to develop a case for TD to be considered an independent risk factor based on a large number of long-term studies during the past 5 years.

Methods: A Medline search was undertaken to include articles on ED and TD and related terms from 1998 to 2016 during the preparation of ISSM guidelines on ED and TD.

Main outcome measures: A rational justification for ED and low testosterone to be considered risk factors for CV disease and be included in risk calculators.

Results: The evidence for inclusion of ED and TD might be stronger than for accepted risk factors and have the advantages of being easily assessed, quantitative, symptomatic, and clinically relevant, especially in younger men. Because important studies are often published in endocrine, sexual medicine, urology, and cardiology journals, a multidisciplinary approach is needed.

Conclusion: There is strong evidence that ED and low testosterone might be of more practical relevance to programs that decrease CV risk than some current recognized risk factors. Hackett G. The Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture ISSM 2016-"The Man Who Knew Too Much": Time to Recognize Erectile Dysfunction and Low Testosterone as Independent Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease. Sex Med Rev 2017;5:256-265.

Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease; Cardiovascular Risk Factors; Erectile Dysfunction; Testosterone Deficiency.