Home walking program improves erectile function after MI

(HealthDay)—For men with recent acute myocardial infarction, a home-based walking program is associated with a reduction in reported erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a study published in the March 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Isis Begot, from São Paulo Hospital in Brazil, and colleagues examined the influence of a home-based walking program on erectile function in patients with recent myocardial infarctions. Participants deemed to be at low cardiovascular risk were randomized to either a home-based walking group (41 patients) or a control group (45 patients) receiving usual care. At hospital discharge and 30 days later, the researchers determined functional capacity by the six-minute walk test and assessed sexual function by the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. At hospital discharge, 84 percent of participants reported previous ED.

The researchers found that, compared with baseline, after 30 days there was a 9 percent increase in ED in the control group (P = 0.08). In contrast, a 71 percent decrease was reported in ED in the home-based walking group (P < 0.0001). Compared with the control group, in the home-based walking group the six-minute walk distance was significantly higher. At 30 days after hospital discharge there was a significant negative correlation between six-minute walk distance and ED.

"This intervention demonstrated a link between functional capacity and exercise training and erectile function improvement," the authors write.