Erectile dysfunction could be warning you of something more serious.

Recent research has connected erectile dysfunction with heart disease in men. Experiencing erectile dysfunction can be the first sign that risk factors for heart disease exist. According to a 2010 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, men with erectile dysfunction were 1.6 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke.

Arteries in the penis are significantly smaller than those that supply blood to the heart, brain, and lower extremities. Therefore, the arteries in the penis get blocked more quickly than they do in other parts of the body. This why ED can be a precursor to heart disease years before a heart attack occurs.

The penis is also more sensitive than other organs in the body. As a result, it will be more sensitive to symptoms such as inflammation and oxidative stress associated with heart disease.

Given the link between these two conditions, men experiencing any symptoms should see an erectile dysfunction doctor right away; it could prevent a life threatening condition in the future.

photo credit: Ethan Hein via photopin cc

When it comes to your health, you have to be sure you are aware that one little symptom could be warning you about something a little more serious. A good example of this is erectile dysfunction or ED. While ED is often considered a disease by some people, the truth is that this is simply a symptom.

If you find that you are experiencing signs of erectile dysfunction, it is important to let your physician know. This erectile dysfunction could actually be caused by high blood pressure, clogged blood vessels, diabetes, or a number of other conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. Your dysfunction is simply a warning of something more serious.

The body is certainly a mysterious thing, but anyone concerned about being healthier should start looking at the symptoms they are experiencing. If you are experiencing any signs of ED, it is important to discuss it with your doctor to determine what the cause is and how you can treat it.

Have you ever felt less than thrilled about your wife or partner hanging out with your buddies without you? Research suggests that it might not be all in your head; a recent study found that men whose partners got too close to their friends were 92% more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

You know what they say, “two’s company, three’s a crowd.”

The phenomenon is called “partner betweenness” and refers to the scenario when your partner becomes closer to your friends than you are. The study found that even in young, healthy men, there was a much higher occurrence of erectile dysfunction in the group experiencing partner betweenness. While these findings do have some interesting implications, it is not yet clear whether the link is physical or completely phsychological. To learn more about causes of erectile dysfunction, or for general urology information, contact the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan at (702) 454-6226.

Contrary to popular belief, women are not the only ones who go through menopause. Male menopause (or andropause as it’s sometimes referred to) is very real, but it is quite different from its female counterpart. Male menopause happens much more gradually than female menopause, and is not accompanied by sudden symptoms like hotflashes. However, it can cause a whole host of rather unpleasant symptoms like erectile dysfunction, hair loss, weight gain, and lethargy, to name a few.

Andropause can cause excess stress or irritability.

The symptoms are brought on by a decrease in male hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available including exercise, diet change, hormone therapy and other lifestyle changes. If you are interested in more information on male menopause or erectile dysfunction treatment in Las Vegas, contact the professionals at the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan today.

Yeah, that’s really the spider but relax, they’ve found a way to synthesize the toxin in a lab.

Scientists are looking into a new potential treatment for erectile dysfunction and the source may come as a shock: spider venom. Brazilian wandering spider venom to be exact.

Doctors noticed that virtually all male ER patients who had been bitten by the spider shared a very -stiff- side effect, and that got their spidey senses tingling. Now, the Brazilian wandering spider is the current Guinness World Record holder for being the most venomous spider known to man so don’t go messing with one of these bad boys on your own (not that you’d want to anyway…did you see the photo?), but recent studies have shown that one element of the venom displayed promising results in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

The component of the venom that researchers are most interested in is a toxin called Tx2-6. To understand how this toxin affects ED symptoms, we need a little crash course on how erections work. Erections happen when the male body releases nitric oxide, which triggers chemical reactions that relax the smooth muscles in the arteries of the penis, thus allowing increased blood flow. One of the chemical reactions triggers the release of a molecule called cGMP, which sends out signals to keep the smooth muscle relaxed – that’s how an erection is maintained. To get rid of an erection, the body also produces a chemical called PDE5, which breaks down the cGMP. In other words, PDE5 is necessary to regulate erections, but too much of it can prevent them from happening at all. This is where Tx2-6 draws a distinction from other ED drugs.

Traditional ED drugs on the market today work by inhibiting PDE5 receptors. While this does work most of the time, it can also cause side effects like priapism due to the lack of PDE5. In addition, not all men respond to PDE5 inhibitors, thus rendering the drug ineffective. Tx2-6, on the other hand, doesn’t do anything to inhibit PDE5. Instead, it triggers the release of nitric oxide, the very beginning of the whole process. This makes Tx2-6 a promising new tool in the treatment of ED, especially for men who have not had success with other drugs.

In studies with mice, a synthesized version of Tx2-6 has been successful on mice with diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as elderly mice. This is a promising find, but it will be some time before human trials can begin. In the meantime, it’s important to talk with your urologist if you think you might have symptoms of ED. If you are looking for a urologist in Las Vegas, contact the experienced professionals at the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan at (702) 454-6226.