The reports of the American Urological Association suggest that heart disease could be one of the main causes of poor erections in men. Erectile dysfunction can be defined as the inability of a man to get and maintain a sufficient erection during sexual intercourse. Studies that were conducted on men suffering from heart disorders such as lack of sufficient flow of blood through the veins and the arteries found out that most of these men were suffering from erectile dysfunction as well. These men were suffering from erectile dysfunction since an average of 4 years before heart related complaints surfaced.
   
Studies say that erectile dysfunction is related directly to blood flow and heart disorders may lead to less blood flow in the penis and other circulatory organs as a result of which erectile dysfunction can occur. A normal blood circulation system in the body is responsible for maintaining the overall health of the body. Erectile dysfunction should be taken care of in the earlier stages and men should not feel shy in discussing the problem with their doctor. Erectile dysfunction may also be a warning for more serious disorders in the body. Hence impotence has been linked to heart attack to a certain extent. Men having erectile dysfunction or impotence are more likely to experience chest pain followed by a mild or severe heart attack. Hence it is suggested that older men who visit their doctors for consultation on impotence should also get themselves checked for heart disease. This is because there have been many cases in the past where men have passed way from a sudden heart attack and they have never visited a physician because they had not suffered from any cardiovascular related diseases.     
 
Many researchers believe that heart disease and erection disorders have many risk factors in common such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and anxiety. Studies were also conducted by a team of researchers on about 8,063 men with some heart condition who had actually participated for prevention of prostate cancer. The studies concluded that penile dysfunction was one of the major indicators of heart disease. However the study had its limitations and it was not a perfect predictor. Still many researchers feel that the results are accurate and there is a relation between heart disease and erectile dysfunction and you should get yourself checked of heart disease in case you are suffering from erectile dysfunction.