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Statin medications lower cholesterol, but benefits may come at cost to sexual health

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

For individuals who have received unhealthy cholesterol test results, statin medication may be an important method for improving their health. The medicine has been shown to effectively bring down cholesterol levels in a safe manner. However, this does not mean that they are completely without risks.

Some patients taking statin medications have reported significant drops in sex drive, which could interfere with an individual's quality of life.

A group of pharmacy experts recently wrote in St. Louis Today that many people have complained about sexual side effects after taking statin medications. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine showed that statins can lower testosterone levels in men, which may decrease their sex drive.

A similar study presented at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting showed that individuals who are on statins report enjoying sex less, according to USA Today. The researchers behind the study said that doctors who prescribe these medications should pay more attention to the sexual health of their patients and ask them questions pertaining to this area.