Mar 16 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Recent studies that are coming out of Germany show that men who suffer from erectile dysfunction have at least twice the risk of heart attack as men who are not impotent. German scientists have discovered that impotence is a strong predictor of who will have a heart attack when looking at men who already have a history of heart disease. The study involved 1,519 men, from 13 different countries, who had previously been diagnosed with heart disease. The University of Saarland conducted the studies which led to this discovery.

The study suggests that men who suffer from impotence are at least twice as likely to suffer heart attack or death than others men, and therefore men who suffer from impotence should be checked for cardiovascular disease. Impotence has already been linked to low blood flow to the male sexual organs. These men were also 10% more likely to suffer from a stroke.

Dr. Michael Bohm of the University of Saarland in Germany, who led the study stated, “Erectile dysfunction is something that regularly should be addressed in the medical history of patients; it might be a symptom of early atherosclerosis.”

The researchers were also aware that men who use drugs such as Pfizer’s “Viagra,” or Eli Lily’s “Cialis,” would just mask symptoms that could suggest heart and artery disease, and that any male who is complaining of erectile dysfunction should be checked by a cardiologist.