"Men who filled prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs in the years following a heart attack had a substantially lower risk of dying or being hospitalized for heart failure than men who did not use these drugs according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiologys th Annual Scientific Session.  The study which retrospectively tracked more than  men for an average of . years found that men prescribed phosphodiesterase PDE inhibitorsthe type of erectile dysfunction drug sold under the names Viagra Levitra Cialis and othersafter their first heart attack were  percent less likely to die from any cause. No survival benefit was seen among men taking alprostadil another type of erectile dysfunction drug that works through a different mechanism.  If you have an active sex life after a heart attack it is probably safe to use PDE inhibitors said Daniel Peter Andersson MD PhD a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the studys lead author. This type of erectile dysfunction treatment is beneficial in terms of prognosis and having an active sex life seems to be a marker for a decreased risk of death. The research is based on a Swedish national database of health records that includes all hospitals in Sweden. Researchers analyzed the records of men age  years or younger who were hospitalized for a first heart attack between  and . Tracking the men for an average of . years following this first heart attack they compared outcomes among those who subsequently filled a prescription for a PDE inhibitor or alprostadil to those who did not. Overall just over  percent of men were prescribed an erectile dysfunction drug  percent of whom were prescribed a PDE inhibitor and  percent of whom were prescribed alprostadil.  After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes heart failure and stroke those taking PDE inhibitors were found to be markedly less likely to die than those taking alprostadil or no erectile dysfunction drugs. Filling more prescriptions for PDE inhibitors appeared to be associated with a greater benefit although Andersson said that trend should be interpreted with caution because the study was not large enough for a definitive doseresponse analysis.  In addition to a decreased mortality men using PDE inhibitors or alprostadil were  percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure compared to those not taking any erectile dysfunction drugs. Although the results provide evidence that PDE inhibitors may benefit heart health the retrospective study design makes it impossible to ascertain direct cause and effect Andersson noted. It is possible that using erectile dysfunction drugs simply indicates a more active sex life which could itself contribute to or be a marker of a hearthealthy lifestyle overall. We think that if you have an active sex life its probably an indicator of a healthy lifestyle especially in the oldest quartilethose  to  years old Andersson said. From the perspective of a doctor if a patient asks about erectile dysfunction drugs after a heart attack and has no contraindications for PDE inhibitors based on these results you can feel safe about prescribing it.  Andersson said the results came as a surprise because erectile dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of heart disease in otherwise healthy men. However previous studies have associated the use of PDE inhibitors with a decreased blood pressure in the left ventricle which reduces the amount of work required to pump blood and therefore could help explain why the drugs might benefit people with heart failure. PDE inhibitors were initially developed to treat angina a type of chest pain that results from constricted arteries.  The researchers also tracked the risk of a subsequent heart attack or cardiac revascularization procedure such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass but found the use of erectile dysfunction drugs had no effect on these outcomes.  A limitation of the study is that the researchers did not assess the effects of untreated erectile dysfunction or conversely the effect of having an active sex life without taking erectile dysfunction drugs. The researchers also were unable to account for socioeconomic status as a next step they are planning a larger study that will include more health records and complete information on marital status educational level and disposable income. They are also pursuing a separate analysis of outcomes from erectile dysfunction drugs in men with Type  and Type  diabetes.   This study received funding from the Stockholm County Council and the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation. Andersson will present the study Association Between Erectile Dysfunction and Death or Cardiovascular Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction on Friday March  at  p.m. ET at Poster Hall C at the American College of Cardiologys th Annual Scientific Session in Washington. The meeting runs March . The ACCs Annual Scientific Session which in  will be March  in Washington brings together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow ACCCardioEd http ACCMediaCenter http and ACC for the latest news from the meeting. The American College of Cardiology is a member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions provides professional medical education disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications.  Andersson will be available to the media in an embargoed web briefing on Tuesday March   at  p.m. ET. Eligible media should register for ACC. to receive access to the briefing."