[Medical News Today]
Statins can not only lower cholesterol and decrease risk of heart attack and stroke, but if you are an older man, then they may also improve your sexual health, new research finds.
Erectile dysfunction is often experienced by older men who have poor cardiovascular health, diabetes or metabolic syndrome. In fact, erectile dysfunction could be interpreted as a warning sign of cardiovascular disease.
It is “similar to a canary in a coal mine,” according to Dr. John B. Kostis, author of the new study and director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ.
Statins are prescribed to lower cholesterol. They work by blocking substances that the body needs to make cholesterol. They also help to reabsorb cholesterol that has built up in plaques on the artery walls, which prevents further blockage in the blood vessels.
Doctors believe that statins may be effective in treating conditions other than high cholesterol. Medical conditions for which doctors think statins may have beneficial applications include: