Many people think their sex life is not a part of their overall health and are often reluctant to spend money for a sex examination and resort to
self-medication or follow self-help books without knowing what they’re doing.
This is a mistake. Sex is important for health and management of sexual
problems will improve overall health.
Medical research has established that erectile dysfunction (ED) is a marker for cardiovascular disease. ED is a
signal to indicate that the heart is
having problems. So what is the link between the penis and the heart?
The link is blood vessels and the endothelium lining the same. The
network of blood vessels keeps our organs functional by supplying them with nourishment and oxygen. These blood vessels are lined internally with endothelium. The endothelium is the seat of many chemical reactions and determines the amount of blood flowing through the arteries and thereby into the organs.
When this endothelium is damaged, sufficient blood flow is stopped. The damaged endothelium is prone to
develop plaques and clots thus
narrowing the lumen of the blood
vessels.
In effect both the penis and the heart muscles will not receive sufficient blood. The effect of this insufficient blood supply will be first felt in the penis because the diameter of the penile arteries is just 1-2 mm whereas the coronary artery’s diameter is 3-4 mm.
The risk factors for both ED and a heart problem are the same: diabetes, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, obesity and depression. Thus organogenic ED (due to physical
factors) can be considered to be a predictor for future heart problems even in an asymptomatic person. Hence treatment of sexual problems especially ED is not a waste of time and money but a preventive health care strategy.
Guidelines to prevent ED:
Have a healthy life style.
Avoid smoking and consuming a high fat diet.
Do regular physical exercise.
Keep diabetes and blood pressure under control.
Don’t hesitate to discuss a sexual problem with a qualified doctor.
The writer is a sexologist.
You can mail him at dr.narayana
@deccanmail.com.