Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Heart Disease and Impotence -Part I

by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is typically the first clinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease making it a helpful early marker of men who are likely to die of heart attacks.


There is a strong relationship between erectile dysfunction and high blood pressure, high cholesterol, angina, stroke, heart attack and a premature death.

Erectile dysfunction affects around half of all men over the age of forty, but the patient often does not request treatment. The recent surge in Viagra and other medications to deal with erectile dysfunction is indicative of the rapid deterioration of the circulatory system in most men in this country.

This subject is fascinating because the science links an abnormality in the pro-erectile nitric oxide production system in the penis with oxidative stress that creates heart disease and risk of heart attacks.


Erectile dysfunction is an accurate predictor of ischemic vascular events down the road, meaning heart attacks and strokes in the future. Surely, psychogenic components play a role in erectile dysfunction, but the most common and primary cause in most men is organic vascular insufficiency.

Erectile dysfunction usually occurs 1 to 5 years before a male manifests overt signs of cardiovascular disease. The first sign may be death.

Remember, you do not have to die of a heart attack, and you do not have to have erectile dysfunction. Both are the result of dietary choices, and you can make a choice right now to protect your life.


So I ask, " do you want to die of a heart attack or don’t you?" If you don’t, then are you willing to do what it takes to reduce your risk 100 percent? I don’t know about you, but for me, just dropping my risk 20 to 40 percent with medical care is not enough. I want total protection.


You can choose erectile dysfunction as you age, which will be followed by your share of heart problems, angioplasties, bypass and a premature cardiac death, or you can avoid cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, thoracic surgeons, emergency rooms and operating rooms. I made my choice and thousands of other men have, too.

Today, when Americans concern themselves with external threats to our safety and security are at their highest levels, there is a surprising lack of concern about the very real dangers posed by homegrown threats to our well-being.


Each day, the media presents horrific news of death and destruction caused by war, terrorism and other violence. It virtually ignores a silent and more deadly enemy that is causing untold suffering to families and undermining the health and economic well-being of our country. I am talking about the many deadly diseases, especially heart disease, that we bring upon ourselves through our unhealthful diet.

Heart disease is a much bigger problem than most people think. Consider a recent study on firefighters who died in the line of duty. We think of firefighters as courageous, highly trained men and women who risk their lives to save others. We imagine that they are at greatest risk when rushing into emergency situations and natural disasters where they are surrounded by dangerous conditions.



Recent findings suggest otherwise.


The US Fire Administration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency investigates on-duty firefighters’ deaths. During the decade between 1990 and 2000, forty-four percent of all on-duty deaths were due to cardiovascular disease.


Among firefighters aged fifty-five to sixty, seventy-six percent of all on-duty deaths were due to heart attacks. I believe that firefighters, like all other Americans, could stop dying needlessly if accurate diet and health information were readily available to them from respected sources.

Dangerous foods take away the lives of brave men and women everyday. Are people adequately informed that donuts, bagels, cheese, hot dogs, luncheon meats and other snack foods are weapons of mass destruction that cause an untimely death? Would all these individuals still have committed suicide with food if they knew they had a choice? I think not.

End of Part I



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