Health experts have revealed a lesser-known sign of high cholesterol that can show clearly in bed.
Research has shown that men with high cholesterol are almost twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
Having high cholesterol means having blood cholesterol. While the body needs a certain amount of cholesterol, having too much in our body can be dangerous.
This is because it can accumulate and obstruct arteries, which causes a process known as atherosclerosis, in which blood vessels narrow and harden. If not, it can cause a infarction or a stroke.
High cholesterol is usually considered a silent murderer, since it does not usually present symptoms. Most people do not realize that they have high cholesterol until they are made a blood analysis or suffer an associated medical episode.
The pharmaceutical manager of Oxford Online Pharmacy, Robert Bradshaw explains the relationship between cholesterol and erectile dysfunction in an article collected by the Daily Mirror.
“Research systematically demonstrates that the higher the cholesterol levels, greater will be the risk of erectile dysfunction“, says Bradshaw, who quotes a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology which reveals that men with total cholesterol levels greater than 240.11 mg/dL had almost double probability of erectile dysfunction than those with levels below 179.794 mg/dL.
An independent study, published in the magazine Urology reveals that the type of blood cholesterol also alters the risk of erectile dysfunction. “Men with erectile dysfunction have Low density lipoproteins (‘bad cholesterol’) significantly higher than healthy people, “says Robert Bradshaw.
Another study revealed that men with higher levels of high density lipoprotein (‘good cholesterol’) had a much lower probability of developing erectile dysfunction than those with lower levels, even if their total cholesterol was the same. In summary: the higher the cholesterol, the greater the probability of having erection problems.
Bradshaw explains that the relationship between cholesterol and erectile dysfunction is due to how cholesterol affects blood flow. “Since erections depend on a good blood flow to the penis, Anything that affects blood vessels can also affect the ability to achieve and maintain an erection, “writes the author.
Any person with high cholesterol has excess fat in the blood, which can begin to accumulate and form deposits in the lining of blood vessels. Over time, this damage causes the narrowing of the vessels and the restriction of blood flow.
In case of erectile dysfunction, the reduction of blood flow to penis arteries can affect the ability to achieve or maintain an erection. In addition, high cholesterol can also interfere with function of smooth muscles and the peripheral nerves involved in the erection process.
