Can High Cholesterol Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Getting an erection is dependent on the smooth flow of blood to the penis, therefore health issues that affect blood flow, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, may also affect erection quality.

The risk of erectile dysfunction is greater in men with high total cholesterol levels than in men with low total cholesterol levels. If there is too much cholesterol in your system, blood flow into the penis may simply be blocked since cholesterol sticks to the walls of the arteries, leading to less blood flow into the penis, causing erectile difficulties.

If you smoke, you should consider stopping smoking. Smoking can also cause damage to blood vessels, which may prevent blood flow to the penis. For men with other erectile dysfunction (ED) risk factors, smoking can double their chances of having erectile dysfunction.