Management of Erectile Dysfunction: An Under-recognition of Hypertension

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30 million men in the US with a decrease in quality of life. Thirty percent of hypertensive men suffer from ED. Objective: This review will debate the interplay between hypertension and ED, discovering novel insights concerning hypertension-linked ED, as well as the influence of antihypertensive medications on patients with ED. Method: Total number of records screened from PubMed yielded by the search which performed from January 2000 - June 2018. Results: Hypertension can cause ED as a consequence of high blood pressure or antihypertensive treatment. Both hypertension and ED have endothelial dysfunction as a common base mechanism, which can lead to an increase in vascular smooth muscle contraction. Also, some phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors used to treat ED can recover blood pressure. Conclusion: Understanding of common mechanisms involved in ED accompanied with hypertension and the research on antihypertensive drugs that impact ED will bring important approaches for identifying novel therapeutic strategies that will improve quality of life in patients with these conditions.