Statins May Affect Your Sex Life

There are a lot of medications out there that could hurt - and improve - your sex life, but I bet that you haven't thought of your statin as a possible culprit. However, a new study presented this past week at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Chicago suggests that statins may not only lower your cholesterol - they may also lower your libido.

The study involved over 1000 men and women with high LDL cholesterol levels. These individuals were assigned to take either a statin (simvastatin or pravastatin) or a placebo. The investigators found that along with lowered LDL levels, those individuals taking statins also saw a decrease in sexual pleasure. Men appeared to be affected more than women during the study.

The effect of statins on sexual function is not fully known. While there have been other studies that have suggested that statins could improve sexual function, this study contradicts it. The investigators of this study are not sure if it is the statins themselves that are affecting sexual function, or if it is the large decrease in LDL that is causing it.

More on statins:

• How Do Statins Lower Cholesterol?
• Rare, But Serious, Statin Side Effects