Does Excess Weight Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Excess Weight, Testosterone, and Sexual Drive

Testosterone (the male hormone) has many functions, from supporting bone density to regulating sexual drive (libido). Certain conditions must be met for testosterone to be secreted at an ideal rate. Maintaining an ideal weight is just one of these conditions.

Studies show that an excess of 10.16 cm (approx. 4 inches) in the waist region increases the probability of low testosterone by 75%. As a matter of fact, evaluating testosterone levels in men experiencing erectile dysfunction is an important requirement. Moreover, in cases of low sexual desire, measuring hormone levels is among the primarily recommended tests.

Vascular Health Can Be Damaged Due to Excess Weight

As I have mentioned many times before, erectile dysfunction can be one of the precursor symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. For a healthy erection to occur, an ideal amount of blood must reach the penis upon arousal, and this blood must be trapped within the penis until sexual intercourse ends.

If there is a problem in the arteries or veins, erectile problems may arise:

• Problems in the arteries carrying blood to the penis lead to erectile dysfunction caused by arterial insufficiency.

• Problems in the veins that ensure blood is retained in the penis during sexual intercourse lead to erectile dysfunction caused by venous insufficiency (venous leak).

Erectile dysfunction caused by arterial insufficiency usually stems from plaque formation in the arteries (atherosclerosis). Therefore, the presence of cholesterol should be investigated in patients experiencing erectile dysfunction.

At this point, it is necessary to briefly recall which health problems excess weight is linked to. It is known that obesity, characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the body, can lead to heart diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

One of the problems obesity creates for health is causing chronic inflammation that can damage vascular health. Inflammation can disrupt the penile blood flow process by restricting the vessels' ability to expand ideally (endothelial dysfunction). It can also disrupt the functioning of the endocrine system.

Performance Anxiety May Occur Due to Excess Weight

Performance anxiety in men can be defined as a state of worry that is quite common and can negatively affect couples' sexual lives. It can occur due to erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, deformities in the penis, and anxieties regarding physical appearance; it can appear as both a result and a cause of sexual dysfunctions. You can find detailed information on this subject in my blog post titled "What is Performance Anxiety, Why Does It Occur?".

Excess weight can trigger performance anxiety both by causing the person to worry about their physical appearance and by leading to psychological problems. Performance anxiety, in turn, can bring about erectile dysfunction in some men.

A Healthier Life is Possible

Patients experiencing negativities such as performance anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and/or a decrease in sperm quality due to excess weight can live a healthier life by eating healthily, complying with personalized exercise programs, and seeking necessary medical expertise.

As they lose weight, they can also achieve improvement in erectile dysfunction related to excess weight. A study showed that when a group of men with erectile dysfunction started exercising regularly and reducing their calorie intake, an improvement of around 30% was achieved in their erectile problems. Furthermore, it is known that inflammation related to excess weight can decrease and general health can improve as weight is lost.