Elevated Serum Estradiol Levels May Impair Erectile Function

[Lokzo]

Erectile dysfunction attributable to testosterone deficiency is less common in young males, and the effect of estradiol on erectile function in eugonadal young males is unclear.
We analyzed data from 195 male participants, including 143 eugonadal patients with erectile dysfunction and 52 healthy men. To distinguish psychogenic and organic erectile dysfunction, penile rigidity was measured using the nocturnal penile tumescence rigidity test. Serum levels of sexual hormones were quantified by electrochemiluminescence, and penile vascular status was assessed by penile color Doppler ultrasound. Both serum estradiol levels and the ratio of estradiol to testosterone were higher in patients with organic erectile dysfunction than in patients with psychogenic erectile dysfunction or healthy controls.

Organic erectile dysfunction was negatively associated with estradiol levels and the ratio of estradiol to testosterone, and estradiol was the only significant risk factor for organic erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.094; 95% confidence interval: 1.042–1.149, P = 0.000).

Moreover, serum estradiol levels were negatively correlated with penile rigidity. Serum estradiol levels were higher and penile rigidity was lower in patients with venous erectile dysfunction than in patients with nonvascular erectile dysfunction. We conclude that elevated serum estradiol levels may impair erectile function and may be involved in the pathogenesis of organic erectile dysfunction in eugonadal young men.

Estradiol is an independent risk factor for organic erectile dysfunction in eugonadal young men


@haidut You will like this study

 

[scoobydoo]

Good find!

 

[Hans]

High estrogen is really not good for erections.
Here is some more info (from this article) about estrogen and erections:

Estrogen can promote erections by inducing nitric oxide synthesis as well as increasing glutamate, MSH (which can increase prolactin in high amounts (R)), oxytocin, dopamine (R) and noradrenaline (needed for desire) and β-adrenergic receptor expression (R, R).

Seem good right?

However, estrogen is also the most potent inducer of serotonin and prolactin and it increases α1- and α2-adrenergic receptor expression (R) (both of which are anti-erection) and can act in a negative feedback loop to lower testosterone levels, by lowering GnRH and LH. Estrogen also increases intracellular calcium (remember intracellular calcium promotes contraction of the smooth muscle), and this will directly inhibit or retard erections (R).

Estrogen is also pro-fat gain, especially in the penis, and this prevents proper “sealing” of the outflow vein, thus preventing proper blood pooling during erection. High estrogen can result in a “skinny fat” ****.

Testosterone has the opposite effect in that it converts the pluripotent cells (stem cells) into muscle cells and inhibits the formation of fat cells in the penis. Both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone decrease the number of fat cells and down‐regulate the expression of the adipogenic markers.

Estrogen also promotes vascular leakage by increasing NO (oooh nice twist right?!) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (R). An increased vascular leakiness thus lowers erectile rigidity. Nothing is more frustrating than a semi.

Research shows that the higher estrogen goes, the more severe effect it has on libido and erection (particularly at the penile base) (R, R). Estrogen also promotes metabolic syndrome induced ED (R).

And it’s not just natural estrogen that can do it, but also xeno‐estrogenic compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA) and tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), can have the same side effects and more (R).​