Let’s talk about sex

Excerpt

Sexual dysfunction in general is associated with cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors. This has been well documented in the literature for many years now and therefore should be well known among cardiologists [1, 2]. The vascular cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) is endothelial dysfunction. ED may present several years before the symptomatic onset of coronary artery disease and may even be a marker for coronary artery disease [3]. It was also shown that satisfaction with sexual life is associated with a reduced risk of symptomatic coronary heart disease [4]. Yet the question ‘How’s your sex life?’ often remains unasked in the outpatient clinic, and patients are often reluctant or too embarrassed to talk about sexual problems. …