P6261Aortic stiffness and carotid intima thickness in hypercholesterolemic males with erectile dysfunction: relation to smoking status and statin therapy

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Aim of the study was to examine possible differentiation of aortic stiffness and carotid atherosclerosis among hypercholesterolemic patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) according to smoking status and statin therapy. Methods We measured carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in three age-matched groups of ED patients with a moderate cardiovascular risk (SCORE) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL: Smokers not receiving statin therapy (n=106), Smokers actively under statin treatment for at least three months with no dose adjustment for a minimum of six weeks (n=59) and Non-smokers not receiving statin therapy (n=97). The severity of ED was evaluated with measurements of penile peak velocity (PSV) 20 min after the intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 (20 μg). Results The groups of untreated smokers and non-smokers had similar mean LDL-C level. The mean LDL-C of patients under statin therapy was lower, however the differences with the level of the untreated patients was not statistically significant. Overall 33 (56%) of the patients under statin therapy reached their LDL-C goal. Body mass index and the prevalence of hypertension were not different between the three groups. The PSV was significantly lower in smokers with or without therapy compared to that of non-smokers, denoting significant influence of smoking status on the smaller in size penile arteries and consequently, a unfavorable effect on erectile function. Figure illustrates the differences in cfPWV (left plot) and cIMT (right plot) mean (±SE) values between the three groups. Smokers not receiving statin therapy had significantly higher cfPWV compared to the other groups while smokers under statin therapy had no different cfPWV than that of non-smokers not receiving therapy. The cIMT values were not different between the three groups. Smoking, statins and vascular changes Conclusions Smokers ED patients receiving statin therapy exhibited similar atherosclerotic burden compared to untreated hypercholesterolemic individuals, however, the cfPWV was significantly lower, possibly because of the known pleiotropic effects of these drugs on the aortic elastic properties. Although the cross-sectional design precludes drawing conclusions of causal relationships, the findings of this study have important clinical implications given the harmful effect of both hypercholesterolemia and smoking in men suffering from ED and the higher risk for future cardiovascular events that ED confers.