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Aim: Aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between erectile function and cardiovascular risk factors by assessing arterial stiffness and myocardial scintigraphy and carotid artery intima-media thickness., Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive asymptomatic men aged 30-86 years, were included. Myocardial scintigraphy, Doppler sonography of carotid artery and arterial stifness parameters were performed. Erectile function was evaluated with a validated erectile function index quesionnaire., Results: The control group included 18 subjects and the study group included 41 subjects with abnormal IIEF-5 scores. We compared both group's IIEF-5 scores there was significant correlation between IIEF-5 and cholesterol (P<0.05) and HbA1c (P<0.05). Moreover, there was a significant correlation in patients with abnormal IIEF-5 scores and pathologic myocardial perfusion imaging (P<0.05) and triglyceride (P<0.05). A two-factor ANOVA showed two significant interactions patients with abnormal cholesterol and abnormal pulse wave velocity, augmentation index had lower IIEF-5 scores; patients with abnormal triglyceride values, and abnormal Hb1Ac had lower IIEF-5 scores., Conclusion: Eretile dysfunction (ED) prevalence is high in cardiologic patients referred for myocardial nuclear imaging. There is a significant relation between ED, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and advanced age. Myocardial nuclear scan and arterial stiffness parameters could be used to stratify the cardiovascular risk factors in ED patients.

Objective: • To study the association between specific clinical symptoms (e.g. low libido and erectile dysfunction) and testosterone levels and age in order to define symptom-specific testosterone thresholds., Materials and Methods: • Serum samples for testosterone determination were obtained from 675 healthy men. • Participants underwent urological examination and completed the Aging Males Symptoms scale, the Beck Depression Index and the International Index of Erectile Function. Overall scores and those from individual questions from the questionnaires were evaluated. • Testosterone levels in men with symptoms were compared with those in men without symptoms. • The risks of clinical symptoms were evaluated using univariate, multiple multinomial regression analyses and Bonferroni correction., Results: • Significant associations between testosterone levels and a number of androgen deficiency symptoms were seen at testosterone levels of 13.5-14.4 nmol/L, but multiple logistic regression analysis revealed confounding effects with age. • Symptoms such as loss of libido, lack of vigour and sexual dysfunction were associated with age rather than with testosterone. • Erectile dysfunction was reported at testosterone levels between 14.65 nmol/L and 14.8 nmol/L, but was again significantly associated with age rather than testosterone levels. • The severity of symptoms significantly increased with decreasing testosterone levels using univariate analysis, but only the relationship with psychological symptoms remained significant after Bonferroni correction., Conclusion: • In aging males, androgen deficiency symptoms were reported at normal levels of testosterone, but age was an important confounder. Symptom-specific testosterone thresholds could not be defined., (© 2010 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2010 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)