The association between cardiac resynchronization therapy response and sexual activity in patients with heart failure

Sexual Functions Following Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Evaluation of Male Patients and Their Partners

“…Studies have also shown considerable benefits with the utilization of HF treatment before starting patients on ED treatment [ 28 ]. Kuyumcu et al reported that patients responsive to CRT had significant post-treatment improvements in the scores obtained from the Sexual Health Inventory for Men questionnaire [ 11 ]. In a similar study by Vural et al, left ventricular EF and ED improvement were found to demonstrate a significant correlation [ 7 ].…”

“…Higher scores indicate better erectile function. Results were categorized as severe (5-7 points), moderate (8)(9)(10)(11), mild-moderate (12)(13)(14)(15)(16), mild (17)(18)(19)(20)(21), and no complaints (22)(23)(24)(25).…”

“…Atherosclerotic disease-related events (e.g., ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction) and cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with vasculogenic ED [ 8 , 10 ]. Additionally, predisposing factors are similar in patients with HF and ED; however, ED may also occur as a direct result of HF-related characteristics, including loss of functional capacity, medications used for HF, and the biochemical basis of the disease [ 11 , 12 ]. Studies have determined that CRT improves endothelial function by creating vasodilation through increased blood flow.…”

Erectile dysfunction and quality of life in patients under left ventricular assist device support − an unspoken issue

“…Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent condition, impairing QoL across a wide spectrum of HF patients. ED affects the vast majority of patients with advanced HF, with a reported prevalence reaching up to 96 % [7] , [8] . Interestingly, studies on stable heart transplant recipients report that up to 71 % have some degree of ED, underscoring the multifactorial origin of ED among this patient collective [9] , [10] .…”