September 15, 2008

- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine -

Quite an unexpected and pretty surprising swing was made recently by the scientists, exploring the causes and risk factors of erectile dysfunction (ED). The researchers from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, suggested and proved in animal study that sleep apnea may negatively influence male sexual performance. In fact, scientists found certain association between the abrupt pauses in breathing during sleep and acceleration in the development of erectile dysfunction.

Within the study, researchers tried to use Cialis, one of the most popular ED medications, in order to fix sexual problems, which appeared after modeling sleep apnea in the laboratory mice, but the results were not 100% positive – the medication helped, but not much in reversing erectile dysfunction.

Sleep apnea, a condition when breathing stops for a couple of seconds and then starts again, can be very serious, since such pauses in breathing during sleep may be very dangerous for a human organism. Scientists noted that those men, who have sleep apnea, often suffer from erectile dysfunction as well. In order to check the association between sleep apnea and ED, a laboratory experiment on mice was conducted in the University of Louisville. The findings of the study were published in the September issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

After exposing mice to the short-term oxygen deprivation, similar to those that happens to people with sleep apnea, the researchers saw a 55% decline in the sexual activity of the animals, namely in the amount of their daily spontaneous erections. Besides, those male mice that were exposed to such “artificial” sleep apnea demonstrated significant decrease of the interest to the opposite sex – the interval between sexual contacts in mice increased 60-fold.

Thus, the researchers received the evidences of strong association between oxygen deprivation because of sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction. "Even relatively short periods of CIH (hypoxia-oxygen deprivation)... are associated with significant effects on sexual activity and erectile function," wrote David Gozal, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville.

It is also interesting to note that even 7 weeks recovery period for the tested animals did not help to fully recover and renew their sexual performance. After this period mice demonstrated only 74% of their original sexual behavior and functions. Doctors consider this to be a sign of either a chronic influence of sleep apnea on sexual function or that longer period of recovery is necessary.

The second phase of the study was called to check the reversibility of the ED, caused by sleep apnea. Scientists found out that in most cases the condition was largely reversible. Administering tadalafil (Cialis) helped to improve erectile and sexual functioning in laboratory mice to near-normal levels. However, the 100% regeneration of sexual functionality still was not achieved.

Making the summary of the above described research, it can be assumed that erectile dysfunction is a very complex disorder, the causes and risks factors of which may be hidden in the most unexpected places.

Nick

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External resources
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/121318.php
http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20080912/sleep-apnea-may-spur-...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=92661

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