Findings based on association between ED, levels of circulating cardiac troponin I
TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Erectile dysfunction is tied to higher circulating concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), indicating subclinical myocardial injury, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Torbjørn Omland, M.D., from Akershus University Hospital in Norway, and colleagues tested the hypothesis that the presence and severity of erectile dysfunction is associated with greater concentrations of cTnI in the general population. Erectile dysfunction was assessed through a questionnaire in 260 men (aged 30 to 65 years), while cTnI levels were determined by a high-sensitivity assay.
The researchers found that hs-cTnI levels were significantly higher in participants with erectile dysfunction than in those without. Men with erectile dysfunction were also significantly older; had higher systolic blood pressure, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, higher augmentation index and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide; and had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and previous coronary artery disease than subjects without erectile dysfunction. When adjustments were made for these covariates, the erectile dysfunction score remained significantly negatively associated with the hs-cTnI concentration.
“The presence and severity of erectile dysfunction is associated with circulating concentrations of hs-cTnI, indicating subclinical myocardial injury independently of cardiovascular risk factors, endothelial dysfunction and heart failure biomarkers,” the authors write.
Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries.
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