Erectile Dysfunction (Erectile Disorder)
A permanent elevated blood pressure can also have an impact on male potency. Especially when other diseases from the spectrum of the metabolic syndrome are present, many hypertensive patients suffer from the erectile disorder referred to as erectile dysfunction. The cause here is also the damage to the vessels caused by excessively high blood pressure. These damages can also affect the blood vessels of the penis and lead to circulatory disorders there. Thus, it is usually not the medications prescribed for high blood pressure that are the cause, but the disease itself or the overall health condition of the man.
In the HOPE-3 study, there was no more frequent occurrence of erectile disorders under high blood pressure medication or the intake of cholesterol-lowering drugs than in the comparison group under placebo intake. Unfortunately, the occurrence of the disease could not be prevented by lowering blood fat and blood pressure levels through medication. Another study from 2019 also could not show a clear improvement in erectile dysfunction through blood pressure reduction.
Medications that can be prescribed by a doctor for erectile dysfunction (PDE-5 inhibitors, Viagra) provide relief here. They are usually easy to take. An exception is the simultaneous intake of nitrates. The two medications exclude each other because a combination of the preparations could lead to severe incidents. Some other diseases of the cardiovascular system also exclude the intake of Viagra or PDE-5 inhibitors.
If you are affected, please consult your treating physician to determine whether and which preparation is suitable for you.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDE-5_inhibitor
- http://drwerner.webseiten.cc/fileadmin/Dokumente/PDF-Dokumente/HOPE3.pdf
- https://www.apotheken.de/krankheiten/krankheiten-und-therapie/sexualmedizin/8789-no-impotence-from-blood-pressure-lowering-medications
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31862174/
- https://www.aerztezeitung.de/Medizin/When-hypertensive-patients-have-problems-with-potency-it-is-usually-not-due-to-their-tablets-323214.html
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (01/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
