摘要
1 Introduction Erectile dysfunction （ED） and coronary artery disease （CAD） are closely linked, as both conditions share the same cardiovascular risk factors. Indeed, these risk factors can determine endothelial dysfunction that represents the common underlying mechanism of both ED and CAD. The prevalence of ED is about three-fold higher among diabetic patients than in the general population and a higher prevalence of CAD has been observed in people with diabetes when compared to non-diabetic subjects.Some studies showed that ED can be a powerful marker of silent CAD and a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in apparently uncomplicated type 2 diabetic patients Therefore ED is now considered as a sentinel symptom of silent CAD, as ED often precedes the onset of myocardial ischemia itself by many years.
