What impact does weight loss have on erectile dysfunction?

Dropping pounds can help you resolve your  erectile dysfunction (ED), and not just because you feel more attractive. Obesity can lower levels of the male hormone, testosterone, and can trigger many of the diseases that may result in ED, including diabetes, blood vessel disease, and hypertension. To have an erection, your penis needs to become engorged with blood. What those conditions have in common is that they damage blood vessels in the body, including the penis, and restrict blood flow. Obese men have a 30% greater risk of ED than men at their ideal weight.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular (heart and vessel) disease, diabetes, endocrine (hormonal) disorders or high blood pressure, all of which cause erectile dysfunction (ED). In some cases, medications used to manage these health problems can also cause ED.

Losing weight can lower the risk of developing one of these health problems; help diabetics avoid nerve damage that interferes with transmission of signals related to arousal and sexual function; help diabetics and those with heart disease prevent blood vessel damage that reduces blood flow to the penis needed for an erection; and can help some people maintain normal blood pressure without taking medication. For these reasons, weight loss can improve your health overall and your ability to get and maintain an erection.