Cholesterol and Female Sexual Dysfunction

Cholesterol doesn’t just build up inside our coronary arteries; it builds up inside all of our arteries. In the heart, it can cause a heart attack. In the brain, it can cause a stroke. In our legs, it can cause peripheral vascular disease. And clogs in our pelvic arteries can lead to sexual dysfunction—and not just in men.

“Hyperlipidemia and sexual function in premenopausal women.” Those with high cholesterol “reported significantly lower arousal, orgasm, lubrication, and satisfaction. Atherosclerosis of the arterial bed supplying female pelvic anatomy can lead to decreased vaginal engorgement and clitoral erectile insufficiency syndrome, similar to erectile problems in men, resulting in vasculogenic female sexual dysfunction,” an important factor of which may be failure to achieve “clitoral tumescence,” or engorgement.

Eating healthier can extend one’s life, and also one’s love life.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

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• Esposito K, Ciotola M, Maiorino MI, Giugliano F, Autorino R, De Sio M, Cozzolino D, Saccomanno F, Giugliano D. Hyperlipidemia and sexual function in premenopausal women. J Sex Med. 2009 Jun;6(6):1696-703.

Image thanks to LadyofHats via Wikimedia Commons.

• cardiovascular disease
• cholesterol
• erectile dysfunction
• impotence
• sexual health
• women's health