Men should not ignore erection problems, even minor ones, as these could be a symptom of heart disease, Australian scientists have said.

They have carried out the biggest study in the world on the link between heart disease and erectile dysfunction (ED). This revealed that men with ED have an increased risk of being hospitalised for heart disease, even if they have no other heart-related problems.

They also have an increased risk of dying early from any cause.

While previous studies have found higher rates of heart disease in men with ED, according to the scientists, this marks the first study to show a direct link between the severity of ED and the risk of heart disease or premature death.

"The risks of future heart disease and premature death increased steadily with severity of erectile dysfunction, both in men with and without a history of cardiovascular disease," they explained.

They said that rather than being a cause of heart disease, ED is ‘more likely to be a symptom or signal of underlying silent heart disease'.

"This could in future become a useful marker to help doctors predict the risk of a cardiovascular problem," they suggested.

The scientists noted that erectile problems are common - around one in five men over the age of 40 report problems at some stage. They acknowledged that this is a sensitive topic for many, but appealed to men not to ignore the problem.

"Men shouldn't suffer in silence. There are many effective treatments, both for erectile dysfunction and for cardiovascular disease," they said.

The study involved an analysis of the health records of 95,000 men aged 45 and older. The men's health was monitored for up to three years.

"The large number of men in the study meant we could also look at the risks in relation to different types of cardiovascular disease. We found men with erectile dysfunction were at higher risk of heart attack, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and heart conduction problems," the scientists explained.

They called on men with erection problems to seek help immediately.

"These results tell us that every man who is suffering from any degree of erectile dysfunction should be seeking medical assistance as early as possible and also insisting on a heart health check by their GP at the same time," they said.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, PLOS Medicine.

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