Some cholesterol is necessary in the body for normal cellular function, but high levels of cholesterol can lead to the buildup of cholesterol-containing “plaques” on the insides of the body’s arteries. This buildup is called atherosclerosis, but is also referred to as coronary artery disease. When a plaque builds up in an artery to the point where blood flow is blocked, the result can be chest pain called angina, heart attack, or stroke.
Statins are marketed under a number of trade names, including Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor, and they are some of the best-selling prescription medications in history. Statins work by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which controls the liver’s production of cholesterol. By replacing the HMG-CoA in the liver, the drug slows down the production of cholesterol. People generally take statins in order to lower cholesterol levels by 25 to 30%, and dosage may need to be increased if a starting dose proves inadequate to lower cholesterol levels enough. Once the target cholesterol level is reached, the patient continues taking the drug as maintenance therapy.
Who Takes Statins?
Statins are prescribed to people with atherosclerosis, people with diabetes or other diseases that increase the risk of heart disease, and to people with a family history of heart attacks. It is also sometimes prescribed to older people who have developed high cholesterol levels. Though it’s possible to have a heart attack without having high cholesterol, most heart attacks are preceded by atherosclerosis and elevated cholesterol.
The Recent Rutgers Study on Statins and Erection Health
John B. Kostis, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School led a recent study of statins and erection health that was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session earlier this year. This research was the first ever meta-analysis of previous studies on erectile dysfunction (ED) and statins.
The research team found 11 randomized, controlled trials measuring erectile function using the International Inventory of Erectile Function (IIEF), a survey that yields a score representing sexual function. The higher the score, the better erectile function. Meta-analysis of these studies by Kostis and his team found that statins had a statistically significant effect on erection health in men with both high cholesterol and ED. In men with ED who took statins, IIEF scores increased by an average of 3.4 points, which represented a 24.3% increase in erectile function.
How Might Statins Improve Erection Health?
Because ED is primarily a vascular condition, researchers believe that the general vascular effects of statins may be behind the improvement in erection health in men who take them. Statins help blood vessels dilate properly and keep from clogging up with cholesterol plaques. Erectile dysfunction drugs work by improving blood flow to the penis, so their effects, though achieved differently, have similarities to the effects of statins.
How Pronounced Were the Effects of Statins?
The Rutgers study found that statins increased erectile function by around 24.3%, or an average of 3.4 points on the IIEF. This level of improvement is approximately one-third to one-half of the improvement men experience after taking ED medications like Viagra. The researchers say that the effect of statins is greater than the reported effects of lifestyle modification, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. Therefore, men with both ED and high cholesterol requiring statin treatment may get better results from their ED medications by adhering to their statin therapy.
Could This New Information Improve Patient Compliance with Statin Therapy?
While the effects of statins on erection health are positive, statins are not recommended as a treatment for ED in men who have healthy cholesterol levels. However, the researchers hope that if men experience better erection health while taking statins, they will be more likely to take their statins as recommended by their doctors.
There are a number of factors associated with poor compliance with statin therapy. Specifically, patients who stopped complying with physician directions on taking statins were more likely to be:
- Under age 45
- Over age 75
- Of low socioeconomic status
- Non-white
- Prescribed multiple doses daily
- Taking multiple drug regimens
- Asymptomatic (feeling good)
- Uneducated about atherosclerosis and the need for treatment
Researchers hope that the prospect of improved erection health may be a factor in helping men comply better with taking their statins.
Erectile dysfunction is now considered to be primarily a vascular problem, and not a psychological problem. When men – particularly young men – have symptoms of ED, in some cases it is a sign that there are other health problems, such as diabetes or early heart disease. If that is the case, treating the underlying condition while treating ED with medications like Viagra can lead to better erection health as well as better overall health.
Furthermore, with ED as well as with coronary artery disease, lifestyle changes can help medications work better. Quitting smoking, cutting back on alcohol consumption, and sticking to a balanced diet low in saturated fats can help with erection health too, as can regular exercise.
Conclusion
Statins are an important and widely prescribed class of drugs that help people with high cholesterol or high risk of heart disease lower their risk by reducing cholesterol levels. The overall benefits of statins appear to positively affect erection health as well, though not as dramatically as the drugs like Viagra that are prescribed specifically for ED.
Statins aren’t prescribed for ED, but in men who have both ED and high cholesterol (or other factors that make statin therapy appropriate), statins may help the medications men take for ED work better. Better erectile health may be an unusual motivator for sticking with statin therapy, but doctors are happy when men stick with their prescribed statin treatment regardless of the reason.
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