Evaluation of the relationship between erectile dysfunction and epicardial fat tissue thickness and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension

Abstract

Objective: This study is an investigation of the relationship between erectile dysfunction and epicardial adipose tissue and carotid intima-media thickness, which are indicators of endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis, in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. Methods: The epicardial adipose tissue and carotid intima-media thickness of 101 male patients with newly diagnosed hypertension were measured using echocardiography between May 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. Evaluation of erectile dysfunction was performed using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) in a face-to-face interview in the urology outpatient clinic. The data of patients with and without erectile dysfunction were compared. Results: There was a significant relationship between the presence and severity of erectile dysfunction and epicardial fat tissue and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. Left ventricular diastolic function was found to be more impaired in patients with erectile dysfunction. Conclusion: Erectile dysfunction was determined to be related to increased epicardial fat tissue and carotid intima-media thicknesses in patients with newly-diagnosed hypertension.

Keywords

• epicardial fat tissue
• erectile dysfunction; essential hypertension; carotid intima-media thickness.