Evidence mapPaperPMID 41213436Full record

ArticleUrology2026

Erectile Dysfunction as a Predictor of Subclinical Atherosclerosis: A Community Health Assessment Using Coronary Calcium Scoring in Underserved Cleveland, Ohio.

Hachem Ziadeh, Jad Badreddine, Thriaksh Rajan, Yann Chemali, Stephen Rhodes, Lydia Beard, Ramy Abou Ghayda

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Urology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Hachem ZiadehUrology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: Hachem.Ziadeh@uhhospitals.org.
Jad BadreddineUrology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: jad.badreddine2@uhhospitals.org.
Thriaksh RajanCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: ttr13@case.edu.
Yann ChemaliNortheast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH. Electronic address: ychemali@neomed.edu.
Stephen RhodesUrology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: stephen.rhodes@uhhospitals.org.
Lydia BeardUrology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: lydia.beard@uhhospitals.org.
Ramy Abou GhaydaUrology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: Ramy.AbouGhayda@uhhospitals.org.

Funding

ACHIEVE P3 - CHDP50MD017351 · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2025 to 2025
$4.6M
NIMHD NIH HHS P50 MD017351
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine the relationship between erectile dysfunction severity and coronary artery calcium (CAC) burden, including its distribution and potential use as a predictor of elevated calcium scores in a high-risk community.

methodsThis cross-sectional, community-based study recruited men aged ≥40 years with ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor. Erectile dysfunction was measured using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), while coronary artery calcium scores were obtained using non-contrast computed tomography and were analyzed continuously and categorically using standard thresholds (≥1, ≥10, ≥100, ≥400). Spearman's rank correlation was used to assess the relationship between IIEF-5 scores and CAC.

resultsAmong our study participants (mean age 59.7 years), 61.7% reported ED of varying severity. The median coronary artery calcium score was 1.5 (IQR: 0.0-97.2), with 11.7% exhibiting severe plaque burden (>400). A significant inverse correlation was observed between IIEF-5 scores and CAC burden (ρ = -.414, p = .001). Higher ED severity corresponded with an increasing CAC category. An IIEF-5 score ≤21 demonstrated high sensitivity (93.3%) and negative predictive value (95.7%) for identifying individuals with CAC ≥100.

conclusionErectile dysfunction severity tracked closely with coronary plaque burden, supporting its role as a sentinel clinical marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. Community-based sexual health screening may offer a simple and low-cost approach for early identification of individuals at risk for future cardiovascular disease.

Indexed as

Coronary Artery DiseaseErectile DysfunctionVascular CalcificationAdultAgedCoronary VesselsCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedOhioSeverity of Illness Index

Identifiers

PMID41213436
PMCPMC13283319

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.