Mediterranean diet may improve CV function in men with erectile dysfunction

Low adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with impaired left ventricular and vascular structure and performance, according to study results of men with erectile dysfunction.

Researchers investigated whether adherence to a Mediterranean diet affected LV and peripheral vascular parameters in men with erectile dysfunction. They presented their data at EuroEcho-Imaging, the annual meeting of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.

“Erectile dysfunction is not a symptom of aging, it is a bad sign from the body that something is wrong with the vasculature,” Athanasios Angelis, MD, of Hippokration Hospital at the University of Athens, said in a press release. “In 80% of patients, erectile dysfunction is caused by vascular problems and is a warning that patients are at increased risk of a heart attack or a stroke.”

Angelis and colleagues performed cardiac ultrasound on 75 men with erectile dysfunction (mean age, 56 years). They obtained Doppler diastolic parameters, LV mass and LV mass index, assessed diameter of the ascending aorta and calculated aortic distensibility. Participants also were evaluated for carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness.

Dietary habits were assessed using the Med-Diet score and participants were stratified by adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern; a score ≥30 was considered high adherence, 21 to 29 was considered moderate adherence and ≤20 was considered low adherence. They found the groups had no major differences in risk factors.

Men in the low-adherence group had significantly higher LV mass, LV mass index and ratio of early filling to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/E’) compared with men in the other groups. Aortic stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness were inversely correlated to Med-Diet score. Adjustment for age did not change the results.

“Our findings suggest that adopting the Mediterranean diet can improve the [CV] risk profile of patients with erectile dysfunction and may reduce their chance of having a heart attack or stroke,” Angelis said in the press release. “This needs to be tested in a larger study. Previous studies have shown that patients with erectile dysfunction have vascular damage, but we found that the heart is also damaged. This may help to further explain why these patients are more prone to [CV] events. The formation of atheroma, the stiffening of the arteries and the poor function of the heart can eventually lead to a cardiac event.”

For more information:

Angelis A. Abstract #P185. Presented at: EuroEcho-Imaging 2014; Dec. 3-6, 2014; Vienna.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.