Beneficial Effect of Niacin on Erectile Function in Men Suffering Erectile Dysfunction and Dyslipidemia


Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common condition affecting more than 50% of men aged between 40 and 70. Currently, phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) is the first-line treatment for ED, with satisfactory results. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of ED patients are either contraindicated for PDE5i or have an inadequate response to PDE5i. Therefore, development of alternative treatments is necessary.

ED is closely related to coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases. Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis are believed to be the common underlying pathophysiology for these conditions. There is evidence suggesting that the improvement of vascular condition and endothelial function by 3-hydroxy-3- methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (“statins”) may lead to an improvement in ED. Niacin is another class of lipid-lowering agent, with characteristics of increasing serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and subsequent improvement in lipid profile. Studies have suggested that niacin could also improve endothelial function and atherosclerosis.

Researchers postulated that niacin may have a similar effect to statins in improving erectile function in patients with ED. Therefore, they aimed to assess the effect of niacin on erectile function in male patients suffering from both ED and dyslipidemia.

The data from this study suggest for the first time in the literature that niacin alone could improve the erectile function of patients with dyslipidemia suffering from ED. The effect is clinically significant in patients with moderate to severe ED. Because of the close relationship between ED and dyslipidemia, niacin might be an important therapy for managing both conditions. Further studies would be beneficial to refine further the indications and benefits of niacin in patients with ED.


this was originally posted by Dr. scally on Meso.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02414.x/abstract