Is There a Direct Link Between High Cholesterol and ED?
Aging is a natural part of life, and with it comes many changes, including those which affect physiology and sexual drive. Fortunately, technology is evolving with us, and along with new medical challenges comes the ability to get a prescription via telemedicine. This helps reduce the stress of speaking to those you know about any embarrassing medical issues.
Some of the more common problems which arise due to age include those affecting weight, cholesterol and libido. In fact, more than 30-million men experience ED in America, while 77.9 million adults have high blood pressure. According to Harvard Medical School, "About half of men ages 40 to 70 have erectile dysfunction (ED) to some degree, although only one in 10 report a complete inability to have erections. Taking an ED drug produces an erection sufficient to start intercourse in about 70% of otherwise healthy men." Similarly, there are treatments to lower and maintain blood pressure.
Throughout this blog we'll more closely examine the link between ED and cholesterol and discuss treatment options for both. Here's what you should know.
Causes and Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction occurs for many reasons and is very common in men over the age of 40. At some point in life almost every man will experience acute ED. It's when the symptoms of ED become regular that diagnosis and treatment must be sought. Causes include:
- Age
- Weight
- Lifestyle choices
- Nutrition
- Sleeping habits
- Cholesterol levels
- Blood pressure
- Hormones
- Genetics
The main symptom of erectile dysfunction is an inability to achieve an erection. However, other symptoms include low self-esteem, depression, insomnia, obesity, anxiety, and low libido.
Causes and Symptoms of High Cholesterol
Like ED, there are many different reasons for high cholesterol, many self-induced. You may experience high cholesterol due to:
- Age
- Genetics
- Eating habits
- Smoking cigarettes
- Drinking alcohol
- Hormone imbalance
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Symptoms of high cholesterol are less noticeable than ED and are usually linked to other conditions. If your cholesterol levels get too high you may notice xanthomas (lesions on the skin) form yellow growths, chest pain from angina, or circulatory problems.
Cholesterol Testing and Diagnosis
To determine whether you are at risk for heart disease your doctor will perform a total cholesterol test, as well as testing for individual HDL and LDL. Based on the healthy guide of 5mmol/L or less for total cholesterol levels and 3mmol/L or less for LDL levels, your physician can tell if your cholesterol needs to go up to down.
Ideally findings report that good cholesterol is greater than bad cholesterol. In fact, a healthy level of HDL in an adult is just above 1mmol/L.
Risks of High Cholesterol
It's common knowledge that high cholesterol isn't a good thing, but why? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says, "A risk factor is a condition that increases your chance of getting a disease. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States."
Narrowing of the arteries, developing ED, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease are also risks associated with high cholesterol.
Link Between ED and Cholesterol
Erectile dysfunction has a lot to do with blood flow to the penis. When blockages and blood pressure problems prevent blood from flowing to the penis, this can cause erectile dysfunction. The American Heart Association writes, "When it comes to cholesterol, there are two terms worth knowing. Hyperlipidemia means your blood has too many lipids (or fats), such as cholesterol and triglycerides. One type of hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, means there's too much LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. This condition increases fatty deposits in arteries and the risk of blockages." These fatty deposits are exactly why high cholesterol causes ED.
There's also a direct connection between medication meant to lower lipids and treat high cholesterol and ED. Once the treatments take effect and cholesterol lowers it can increase the ease through which a man achieves an erection, but the medication itself can prevent this. If you think your cholesterol medicine could be causing ED symptoms, speak to your doctor about alternative cholesterol treatments.
Treatment for High Cholesterol
Many of the treatments for high cholesterol require lifestyle changes and educating yourself. Making good decisions about your eating habits and exercise are the most important ways to get started. The following are some treatments your doctor might recommend:
- Regular exercise
- Obtaining a healthy BMI
- Eating foods with fewer "bad" fats
- Quitting lifestyle habits like smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol
If these changes don't help, or you require extreme help, your doctor might prescribe medication. Usually high cholesterol is treated with statins. A statin is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor. It reduces the production of cholesterol which lowers your levels slowly. Statins are especially helpful at increasing HDL and lowering LDL.
Treatment for ED
While there are multiple natural remedies for treating ED, such as garlic, leafy greens and ginseng, there are also a selection of prescription medications to help relieve symptoms. Before beginning treatment, your doctor will try to determine the root cause of your erectile dysfunction. Treating the cause is a more long-term solution than simply treating the symptoms. For example, in cases where high levels of stress are causing ED, removing stressors or learning to cope with stress better could help.
In some cases, where age or genetics play a role, relieving symptoms may be the best course of action. Most of the medications used to treat ED are PDE5-inhibitors, which allow the tissue in the penis to relax so blood flows more freely. The most common brands include:
- Viagra (Sildenafil)
- Stendra (Avanafil)
- Cialis (Tadalafil)
- Levitra (Vardenafil)
You can obtain these oral medications through an online consultation; or by consulting with your family doctor.
If you're interested in treating your high cholesterol or ED symptoms, contact QuickRXRefill to speak one on one with a certified U.S. based doctor today.
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