Erectile dysfunction (erection problem)
Persistently high blood pressure can also be a physical cause of impaired sexual function. Especially when other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome are present, many people with hypertension suffer from what is known as erectile dysfunction. Here too, the cause is damage to the blood vessels from excessively high blood pressure. This damage can also affect the blood vessels of the penis and lead to circulation problems there. In most cases, it is therefore not the medications prescribed for high blood pressure that are to blame, but the disease itself or the man's overall health.
In the HOPE-3 study, neither blood-pressure medication nor cholesterol-lowering drugs led to more new cases of erectile dysfunction than placebo. Unfortunately, reducing blood lipids and blood pressure with medication did not prevent the condition from occurring. Another study from 2019 also failed to show a clear improvement in erectile dysfunction from lowering blood pressure.
Medications that can be prescribed by a doctor for erectile dysfunction (PDE-5 inhibitors, Viagra) can help. They are usually easy to take. One exception is taking nitrates at the same time. The two medications must not be used together because combining them could lead to serious complications. Some other cardiovascular conditions also rule out taking Viagra or PDE-5 inhibitors.
If you are affected, please talk to your treating physician to find out whether a medication is suitable for you and which one would be appropriate.
Sources:
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDE-5-Hemmer
- http://drwerner.webseiten.cc/fileadmin/Dokumente/PDF-Dokumente/HOPE3.pdf
- https://www.apotheken.de/krankheiten/krankheiten-und-therapie/sexualmedizin/8789-keine-impotenz-durch-blutdrucksenker
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31862174/
- https://www.aerztezeitung.de/Medizin/Wenn-Hypertoniker-Probleme-mit-der-Potenz-haben-liegt-es-meist-nicht-an-ihren-Tabletten-323214.html
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 11/2025).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
