Statins can not only lower cholesterol, but can improve erections, according to research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Rome last week. Since statins are the most commonly prescribed drug in the UK, will erectile dysfunction (whatever doctors call the condition, it still sounds pejorative) be consigned to history? The study was small and presented as a poster at the congress (so, not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal and full details are not available).

The research included 100 men between the ages of 40 and 70 with erectile dysfunction and abnormal cholesterol. Half were given the drug atorvastatin for three months; the other 50 patients had nothing. The men were assessed by the international index of erectile dysfunction questionnaire, which asks about hardness of erections, penetration and confidence. Those on statins were more likely to have improved their score from moderate to mild dysfunction than those on no treatment. Scores rose on average for those on statins from 11.4 to 16.3 (the highest score is 30). Dr Alexios Samentzas, a cardiologist from Athens who led the research, said that this was half the improvement seen with Viagra – a drug specifically for erection problems. The comparison is not quite like for like, since Viagra works much faster (usually within 30 minutes), while reducing the sludge of cholesterol from the walls of your arteries takes longer.

But as Dr Samentzas so neatly puts it, why not boost your heart and your erection at the same time?

The solution

Statins reduce cholesterol and improve blood flow for all arteries. These include those in the penis. Doctors consider erection problems, especially in older men, as an early sign of heart disease. Research in 2008 suggested that statins might actually cause erection problems by lowering testosterone levels. But the body of evidence now has statins improving erections. This research includes a meta-analysis adding up results from 11 randomised controlled trials that found a 24.3% improvement in erection scores (from 14 to 17.4) among men on statins who had problems before starting the drug.

A tablet that can take on cholesterol and improve erections may sound attractive. Except that while erection problems can be due to narrowed blood vessels, they are most often caused by stress, smoking or drinking too much alcohol. Statins don’t touch any of these. And if you want to tackle cholesterol and prevent heart disease, you could do worse than a strict Mediterranean diet. The same cardiology congress that brought us statins for erectile dysfunction had Professor Giovanni de Gaetano’s study showing that a diet of fish, vegetables, nuts and oils can reduce early death from heart disease by 37%. Which means it could improve blood flow to your penis just as well, if not better, than a statin.