5 Surprising Signs of an Unhealthy Heart

2. Sexual Problems

Having trouble achieving or keeping erections is common in men with coronary artery disease, but they may not make the connection. One survey of European men being treated for cardiovascular disease found that two out of three had suffered from erectile dysfunction for months or years before they were diagnosed with heart trouble. Recent studies on the connection between ED and cardiovascular disease have been so convincing that doctors now consider it the standard of care to do a full cardiovascular workup when a man comes in complaining of ED, according to cardiologist Goldstein says. "In recent years there's been pretty clear evidence that there's a substantially increased risk of heart attack and death in patients with erectile dysfunction," Goldstein says.

Why it happens:

Just as arteries around the heart can narrow and harden, so can those that supply the penis. And because those arteries are smaller, they tend to show damage much sooner -- as much as three to four years before the disease would otherwise be detected.

What distinguishes it:

In this case, the cause isn't going to be immediately distinguishable. If you or your partner has problems getting or maintaining an erection, that's reason enough to visit your doctor to investigate cardiovascular disease as an underlying cause. "Today, any patient who comes in with ED is considered a cardiovascular patient until proven otherwise," says Goldstein.

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