Atherosclerosis Clinical Trials

This prospective, single-center, exploratory study will evaluate the association between atherosclerotic and lipid plaque burden in the internal pudendal arteries, assessed by intravascular ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy (IVUS-NIRS), and the severity of erectile dysfunction in adult men with documented or suspected coronary artery disease undergoing clinically indicated coronary angiography. After completion of the clinically indicated coronary procedure, eligible and hemodynamically stable participants with favorable pelvic vascular anatomy will undergo selective pudendal angiography and investigational IVUS-NIRS imaging of one or both internal pudendal arteries. Erectile function will subsequently be assessed within 30 days using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). The primary outcome will be the correlation between pudendal maxLCBI4mm and IIEF-5 score. Secondary analyses will characterize pudendal and coronary plaque burden, assess the relationship between pudendal and coronary lipid burden, evaluate associations with cardiovascular risk factors, and describe the technical feasibility and safety of pudendal IVUS-NIRS imaging.