High Cholesterol May Cause Sexual Disfunction

The key to a good sex life may, indeed, lie in the heart — or at least the blood vessels it supplies. For most healthy people, the signs of sexual arousal — penile erections or vaginal lubrication — happen automatically.

But both of these responses require a rich blood flow to the genitals. Cholesterol can build up in these blood vessels, as well as others in the body, preventing these arteries from opening appropriately to increase blood flow and causing sexual dysfunction.

In men, that constricted blood flow may result in an inability to develop erections. In fact, studies are finding that erectile dysfunction is often a marker of high cholesterol and arterial hardening, which is usually a “silent” condition. A recent British study found that 18 of 20 men who had erectile dysfunction but no symptoms of heart problems actually had high levels of LDL.

In women, the high cholesterol/sexual dysfunction link is less clear, but experts say that both men and women should discuss problems of sexual functioning with their physicians and be sure that cholesterol screening is included in physical examinations.