Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) can precede coronary artery disease. In addition, silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) is more common in diabetic patients and is a strong predictor of cardiac events and death.
Aim: To evaluate the presence of SMI in patients with diabetes and ED using multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography (MDCT-CA).
Methods: This study evaluated patients with diabetes and ED without any history of cardiac symptoms or signs. Erectile function was evaluated with the Sexual Health Inventory for Men score, erection hardness score (EHS), and maximal penile circumferential change by an erectometer. MDCT-CA was used for the detection of coronary artery stenosis.
Main Outcome Measures: Sexual Health Inventory for Men score, EHS, maximal penile circumferential change, and coronary artery stenosis by MDCT-CA.
Results: Of 20 patients (mean age= 61.45 ± 10.7 years), MDCT-CA showed coronary artery stenosis in 13 (65%) in the form of one-vessel disease (n ¼ 6, 30%), two-vessel disease (n = 2, 10%), and three-vessel disease (n = 5, 25%). Fifty percent of patients showed at least 50% vessel lumen obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery, which was the most commonly affected vessel (55%). Fifteen percent (3 of 20) of patients had greater than 90% stenosis, and two of them underwent an immediate coronary angioplasty with stenting to prevent myocardial infarction. Maximum coronary artery stenosis was positively correlated with age (P = 0.016, r = 0.529) and negatively correlated with EHS (P= .046, r = - 0.449). Multivariate regression analysis using age and EHS showed that age was the only independent predictor of SMI (P= .04).
Conclusion: MDCT-CA can be a useful tool to identify SMI in diabetic patients with ED, especially in those of advanced age and/or with severe ED.