You know that old song about the knee bone being connected to the thigh bone? Well, here’s a new verse for you: the penis bone’s connected to the heart bone…
Yes, I know that the penis has no bone and neither does the heart; what I’m trying to say is that emerging science is suggesting that a man’s ability to get an erection may have something to do with his cardiac health. And since women are the main caretakers for the men in our lives, this knowledge may help you save your partner’s life!
For many years, medical experts thought that erectile dysfunction (ED)—everything from a lack of erections, or erections that were less hard, to erections that were more difficult to maintain—were part of the normal aging process. Men were told that this is what happened with aging and to just get used to it. Younger men with erectile difficulties were typically told that there was most likely an underlying psychological reason for their problems with erections.
Then in 1998, the drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra, Revatio, and other brands) was approved to support erectile function, and men were given a new lease on life—sexual aging was no longer the norm and it was now believed that every man should and could have firm erections until the day he dies. In fact, most men today who notice that their erections are less firm or who cannot get or keep an erection usually go to their primary care provider, tell their story and leave with a prescription for Viagra, tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil HCl (Levitra). But important new research has now shown that erectile problems are an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease.
In fact, according to the American Medical Association, experts now know that most erectile problems are related to physical issues, including developing heart disease, diabetes or hormonal imbalances that can be treated if caught early enough.
ED & heart attack risk
We now know that if a man experiences difficulties with erections, there’s a good chance that he has cardiovascular disease and is at risk for a major cardiac event (such as a heart attack or stroke) within 2 to 3 years. This association is so strong that many experts regard cardiovascular disease and ED as two sides of the same coin. Why? Both ED and cardiovascular disease result from changes to the lining of blood vessels. The blood vessels in the penis are much smaller than those in the arteries supplying the heart, so changes to these blood vessels result in symptoms much earlier in the penis.
Many of the risk factors for cardiac disease are the same for ED: Your male partner is at increased risk for both if he smokes cigarettes or uses tobacco, has diabetes, gets little or no exercise, is overweight or obese or has abnormal cholesterol levels or high blood pressure.
What we know now is that if a man goes to his primary care provider and complains about ED, he should not merely be given a prescription for medication to treat the condition. He should have a complete cardiac workup including blood tests to measure cholesterol and fasting blood glucose levels. He should also have his blood pressure measured.
Be his advocate
If you’ve noticed that your partner has difficulties with erections and he isn’t taking any medications that can cause ED (for example, antidepressants or medication to lower blood pressure), make him go to see his primary care provider. This may not be easy; many men don’t seek out healthcare for prevention. Offer to go with him and take this article with you; many primary care providers are not aware of this new groundbreaking research. Be persistent and ask that his blood pressure be measured and that he have the necessary blood tests to check for cholesterol and inflammation.
There are other things that you as his partner can do to promote his health and prevent further damage to the blood vessels and prevent ED. First, help him achieve and stay at a healthy weight. Many men develop a tummy as they age. This is an external sign that there is fat surrounding his internal organs, which is the most dangerous place for fat to accumulate. Help him to lose that tummy; go for walks with him every day and encourage him to eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat (yes, we’re talking skip the butter) and red meat.
If you do most of the cooking, prepare meals plentiful in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, almonds, garlic and fresh fish. A loss of just 10% of his body weight in an obese man can improve erections. So if your partner weighs 250 pounds, losing 25 pounds can make a significant difference in both his sexual health and his heart health (and yours too if you also carry a few extra pounds!).
Next, if he smokes, do whatever you can to help him quit. There are many different smoking cessations aids available, and one of them will eventually work for him. It usually takes multiple attempts to quit, often as many as 8 separate attempts before finally quitting for good, but this is essential for both his sexual and heart health.
Heart disease is the #1 killer of men in North America. A man’s sexual health and vigor can serve as an early warning system alerting both of you to increasing risks from a major killer. This can’t be ignored and as his intimate partner you may be the only other person to notice when something may be wrong.
Don’t just brush ED aside and ignore it because you don’t want to hurt his feelings by talking about it. When something goes wrong in the bedroom, wait until the next morning to tell him that this may be related to his cardiovascular health, show him this article and tell him to see his healthcare provider so that he will be around for many years to come. After all, that’s all we really want—both a healthy heart and a healthy penis. There is a connection after all!
