Young men suffering from erectile dysfunction may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease -- the leading cause of death among men worldwide, finds a study. The findings suggested that erectile dysfunction -- afflicting more than half of men aged 40-70 years and greater than 70 per cent of men over age 70 -- can be a simple and effective marker of underlying risk of subclinical cardiovascular disease. "Our study indicate that [young] men [with erectile dysfunction] are at greater risk of having identifiable subclinical cardiovascular disease and will benefit from an active disease work-up," said researchers led by Chukwuemeka Osondu (Baptist Health South Florida).