Impact of Physical Exercise Program Interventions on Erectile Function and Cardiovascular Health in Males with Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PC) and its associated treatments can cause significant cardiovascular and sexual dysfunctions. While structured exercise interventions can induce positive outcomes in males with PC, there are limited data on its effects on cardiovascular health, erectile function, or the combination of these outcomes. It has been proposed that positive changes in biomarkers of cardiovascular health through physical exercise programs, can result in cardiovascular remodelling and improve penile haemodynamic and erectile function recovery in those with metabolic syndrome and/or cardiovascular diseases, although the data is accruing in males who are diagnosed and/or treated for PC. While the results of this review article support structured physical exercise interventions to effectively prevent and mitigate the development of both sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions in males with PC, appropriate caution should be maintained and future clinical research should focus on the development of standardised and evidence-based exercise guidelines in the setting of PC survivorship.

The future role of precision medicine in male sexual dysfunction

“…PM can help create treatment plans considering an individual’s unique genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that are likely to be effective for specific patients [ 6 ]. This could involve combining pharmacological interventions with lifestyle modifications, such as dietary changes and stress management techniques, to achieve optimal results [ 7 ].…”

Healthy lifestyles and their beneficial effects on sexual function and dysfunction

“…As mentioned before, exercise also helps improve self-esteem and body image, which tend to be low in subjects with PE [91] . Men with prostate cancer frequently have ED and male sexual dysfunction [92] and these problems are attenuated to some degree with physical exercise [93] . Exercise helps increase the male sex hormone levels [94] and improves fertility in males [95] .…”