Invited review
Hypertension and sexual dysfunction

Data from epidemiological and pathophysiological studies are far from complete, but despite some conflicting results, several tentative conclusions can be drawn, which can then be fitted into the prevailing view of an association between sexual dysfunction, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The medications used by patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease may also contribute to the increased prevalence of sexual dysfunction in these patients. The therapeutic management of erectile dysfunction has advanced significantly in recent years with the advent of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors; these drugs may be safely and effectively co-administered with antihypertensive drugs. Although sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent in the general population and significantly affects patients’ and their sexual partners’ quality of life, it is frequently neglected in everyday clinical practice. It is of utmost importance for physicians to become familiar with sexual dysfunction and realize that this issue requires both in-depth knowledge and extreme sensitivity.