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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Erectile dysfunction gives a two- to three-year early warning of a heart attack, but many doctors are ignoring that link, warns a British doctor.
Dr. Geoffrey Hackett of the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham, England, said he frequently treats patients for erectile dysfunction after a heart attack only to learn that the men had developed erectile dysfunction two to three years before their heart attack.
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He claims erectile dysfunction is a well-known indicator of heart disease because the condition is a symptom of vascular disease in the smaller arteries. Erectile dysfunction doubles the risk of heart disease, a risk equivalent to smoking or having an immediate family history of heart disease, Hackett said.
Despite these warning signs, Hackett believes erectile dysfunction is still treated as a recreational or lifestyle issue rather than a predictor of a serious health issue.
Continuing to ignore these issues on the basis that cardiologists feel uncomfortable mentioning the word erection to their patients or that they may have to deal with the management of a positive response, is no longer acceptable and possibly, based on current evidence, clinically negligent, Hackett said.
SOURCE: Article published on the British Medical Journal Web site on October 21, 2008
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