Cardiac patients are unaware that their erection problems and cardiovascular have the same cause
The campaign ‘for you, for me,’ sex with heart pointed out that Spanish heart patients are unaware of, or still do not have clear, the relationship between erection problems and its cardiovascular disease.
Thus reflects it a survey of 595 men after attending one of the conferences given throughout 2011, mainly between members of coronary patients associations. 61.3% Of respondents – male, about 60 years and married – responded that he knew or thought that he had erectile dysfunction (), but to ask them cause 49% said that it knew them as they explained at the Conference. Even, 22.6% acknowledged that he knew what was before the chat.
For this reason, from the Spanish Heart Foundation (CSF), the Foundation for research in Urology (FIU) and the Spanish society of physicians in primary care (SEMERGEN), entities that along with Lilly launched the initiative, consider reached the objective set of raising awareness of the consequences of cardiovascular disease in the sexual sphere.
“We consider that we have achieved our goal of awareness and outreach through conferences, educational materials distributed among patients and made dissemination of the relationship between heart problems and sexual relations,” explains the President of the FEC, Dr. Leandro Plaza.
Common risk factors
Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease share risk factors, including high blood pressure, the atherosclerosis, obesity, tobacco or alcohol. Thus, two of every three men with high blood pressure have erectile dysfunction, and more than half of those who have erectile dysfunction has high cholesterol, Coronary lesions (40% has relevant coronary occlusions) and altered stress test.
“In almost all patients, erectile dysfunction appears in an average of two to three years before the onset of coronary artery disease,” says the President of the FIU, Dr. Jesus Castiñeiras. “For this reason we recommend that a patient with erectile dysfunction be asked about your heart health and cardiovascular risk factors”, adds.
Erectile dysfunction, in its different levels comes to affect 40% of men older than 40 years. It is for this reason that the first performance must be addressed to improve the patient’s life style, eating a healthy diet low in fats, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding tobacco, losing weight and increasing physical activity. “Because preventing cardiovascular risk factors will improve blood flow during erection, contributing to their sexual health,” says Dr. Castiñeiras.
The majority of respondents, 89.5%, believes that sexual life, can recover after having erection problems while only 36% think that they will be able to have a satisfying relationship. “The issue of satisfaction and have a sex life of quality is important for patients,” explains the national coordinator of Sexology SEMERGEN, Dr. Froilán Sánchez, group “because erectile dysfunction is not only for the patient a health problem, but also a loss of self-esteem and confidence which can lead to problems with your partner”.
A statement that ratify the respondents. 91% Said sex is quite or very important in his life. And if they suffer an erection problem, so they speak first with your partner with your doctor and, to a lesser extent, with a friend or with the pharmacist.
And if you have to choose the specialty, first chose primary care and, secondly, urology. However, although 50% not him it would be a problem to speak of her, 30% acknowledged that he would prefer not to do so by shame or modesty. “In many cases, the patient has first your erectile dysfunction problems to the primary care physician, because it is the nearest doctor.” But other times, we should be ourselves who say the conversation. “And in all cases should tell you that there is a solution and that can treat their pathology,” believes Dr. Froilán Sánchez.
In this respect, the survey highlights that 61.3% of respondents who recognizes that he suffers or has symptoms of only 10% said that he was undergoing treatment. In other words, one in six patients is facing this health problem.
Sex after a cardiovascular episode
The influence of cardiovascular disease on sexual life is also especially evident at the time to resume intercourse after having suffered
