Is erectile dysfunction a low-grade systemic inflammatory condition?

Abstract

Low-grade systemic inflammation is present in insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X, which predispose to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD),1,2 conditions in which endothelial dysfunction is present, implying that reduced production of nitric oxide (NO) by endothelial cells could be a common denominator. NO, produced by endothelial cells, is responsible for penile erection. Hence, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X are likely to be associated with erectile dysfunction. The findings of Montorsi et al. 3 and Vlachopoulos et al. 4 are not only in support of this …