Doctors are beginning to use the "Viagra visit" (the visit where men finally ask for help with erectile dysfunction) as a sign that a cardiovascular workup is needed. Doctors are taking this action because of several recent studies that have strongly associated erectile dysfunction in older men with the presence of occult, underlying coronary artery disease, and the risk of developing ED to the same risks that produce coronary disease. ED often occurs two or three years before the first cardiac symptom, and can be thought of as an "early warning system" for approaching cardiovascular disease. Read about these recent studies, and what they mean, here.