What impact does cardiac rehabilitation have on ED?

What's good for the heart is usually good for the penis. Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that helps people who've had heart surgery or a heart attack learn to modify the lifestyle factors that got them there to begin with. We know that it helps prevent another heart "event." And it can make ED a non-event. In rehab, patients learn how to control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. They're counseled on ways to stop smoking and encouraged to exercise regularly. Their depression is treated and they learn new ways to cope with stress. Every one of those problems that plays havoc with the heart also contributes to ED.

Some heart attack patients who have erectile dysfunction (ED) may find that a cardiac rehabilitation program can help improve their ability to get and maintain an erection. Many of the same lifestyle choices that lead to heart disease, such as smoking and lack of exercise, can also cause erectile dysfunction.

Cardiac rehabilitation focuses on increasing activity levels and making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, that can also help ED.