Fellas, here’s some news that’s hard to take

Erectile dysfunction could be a sign that a heart attack is right around the corner, as males suffering from ED have a 59 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 34 percent higher risk of stroke, a new study has found.

The research drew on studies of more than 150,000 men published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine and found impotency could be one of the first predictors of a man’s risk of having a heart attack.

“Erectile dysfunction can develop actually years before men have other signs or symptoms of cardiovascular events,” Dr Ron Blankstein, a preventive cardiologist at Massachusetts’ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told CNN.

“In many cases, it might be the first warning sign of underlying cardiovascular disease,” he said.

Blankstein described the function of male organs as a “canary in a coal mine” — as the smaller blood vessels in a man’s trousers show the first signs of disease when they are unable to dilate.

The report noted that occasional trouble in bed was not a problem, but if it persists that should raise alarm.

Researchers found the greatest way men could reduce their risk was to stop smoking, followed by losing weight and improving their diet by reducing their meat intake.