Experts have cautioned men suffering from erectile dysfunction to go for routine check-ups for cardiovascular problems.

In their research, scientists found that men suffering from erectile dysfunction have strong possibilities of developing heart diseases.

Men who suffer from the ED, as it is usually called, which is considered by many as an emotionally linked disorder rather than a physical one, are 2 times more likely to have a heart attack, 1.9 times more likely to die from a cardiovascular disease, and 1.1 times more likely to have a stroke than the ones who do not suffer from it.

Dr. Sahil Parikh, an Interventional Cardiologist from University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, said that experts have known for years that there is a link between erectile dysfunction and heart problems.

"But now, the evidence is pretty clear that there is a substantially increased risk of heart attack and even death when patients are suffering from erectile dysfunction", he said.

Dr. Robert Kloner, a cardiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, echoes the same opinion of Dr, Parikh. He says, "The results are probably not too surprising. Because arteries in the penis are smaller, so atherosclerosis shows up there sooner".

The details of the German research have been published in Monday's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.