Roughly one in six adults has high cholesterol, CDC research shows.
Of the medications available, the most common are statins. Their use increased to 26 percent from 18 percent, according to the CDC. By 2012, of all adults using cholesterol-lowering drugs, some 93 percent used statins.
Clearly, doctors see a benefit to increasing use of statins, which research has shown lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke and other causes of premature death. Both men and women can use the drugs. Just less than 30 million people in the United States use such statins as Lipitor or Zocor, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a government agency.
Now the Bad News
But one big downside to using statins is rarely mentioned. Statins can significantly lower testosterone levels in men, which can lead to a variety of sexual problems, including erectile dysfunction, low libido and more. Research on 3,500 men who complained of erectile dysfunction found an association between use of statins and hypogonadism, which causes men not to produce enough testosterone. The 2010 study confirmed small tests previously performed on a limited field of patients, most of the studies using fewer than 50 subjects.
The study, which featured men who averaged 51 years of age and complained of problems with sustaining an erection, was taken between January 2002 and August 2009. Of the total number presenting with erectile dysfunction, some 7 percent were enrolled in statin treatments for high cholesterol. The study doesn’t go so far as to state that the statins were the cause of their problems. But certainly it found a link, which suggests that there’s more to investigate. The possibility is that inhibiting the creation of cholesterol also somehow affects the development of testosterone.
Spokespeople for the commercial producers of statins deny the link and call for more studies to definitively prove any causation. However, at least one concedes that the warning label on the drug cites the possibility of the drugs interfering with hormone production, leaving open the door that, indeed, statins may cause some sexual problems.
Is It The Drug or Something Else?
There’s always the possibility that the conditions that cause high cholesterol may also interfere with the body’s sexual function. Certainly, a higher weight, diet, lifestyle and such underlying conditions as diabetes and heart problems play a combination effect in depressing sexual drive and function.
Although it’s often an uncomfortable topic, the only way to be certain about testosterone and sexual problems is to have a talk with your doctors and perhaps undergo some tests.
It’s also worth noting that there are other drugs that can cause sexual problems. These can include blood pressure medications, which lessen blood flow and interfere with erections and ejaculations in men and vaginal dryness, difficulty in achieving orgasm and decreased desire in women. The blood pressure pills come in eight categories, but it’s been noted that diuretics, alpha-blockers and beta-blockers are the biggest suspected culprits in sexual dysfunction.
Diuretics are known to limit blood flow to the sex organs but also exacerbate the outflow of zinc, which is a key to producing more testosterone. Beta-blockers are known to make subjects more sedated, which can interfere with nerve function and reduce testosterone production.
If you’re taking antidepressants, you may experience some sexual dysfunction. The drugs interfere with brain chemicals, including serotonin, acetylcholine and norepinephrine, which are keys to sending relay signals between nerves. In the delicate structure of erections, that can be a problem. Your doctor may be able to switch drugs that may have fewer side effects.
Calming Down the Mind – and Other Things
Antipsychotic drugs used to treat such serious mental conditions as bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and other severe psychiatric problems, can be problematic. These drugs attack your dopamine production, the brain chemical that controls your pleasure centers, regulating your emotional responses. They also increase the prolactin hormone, which can reduce libido and cause erectile dysfunction and can interference with the acetylcholine reactions in your body, which causes a host of sexual functions.
It’s been found that antipsychotic drugs interfere with sexual function in as high as 90 percent of patients. It’s important to discuss the issue with your doctor before going off the medications because the consequences are often severe.
One other potential sexual disruptor are benzodiazepines, generally known as tranquilizers, which are used when patients present with everything from muscle spasms to insomnia and anxiety. Obviously, given the name, these drugs tranquilize your muscles, relaxing them and sedating your mood. This can have the unwanted byproduct of throwing cold water on sexual interest, sensation and libido. They also potentially can lower your testosterone production.
Finally, H2 blockers, used to treat gastroesophageal reflux, peptic and gastric ulcers, and erosive esophagitis, are believed to cause impotence in men. These can interfere with sleep and sexual response, and can even interfere with sperm counts.
As with any drug administration, your individual conditions and needs will determine the best course of action. Your doctor may decide to switch drugs or even recommend alternatives that can help with sexual problems. Keep in mind that these problems are found in many Americans and that better overall health thanks to diet, exercise, a better lifestyle and outlook may also go a long way toward reducing any problems with sexual dysfunction. Whatever you do, get a medical professional's opinion before attempting to self-diagnose or medicate.