Hypertension and its related disorders have a high mortality as well as morbidity and require strict adherence to medications in order to mitigate these consequences. Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among patients with hypertension and can either be attributed to the disease progression or as a result of antihypertensive medications. Most patients report the symptoms after initiation therapy and sometimes leads to a spurious association with antihypertensive drugs. However, most drugs in the antihypertensive classes have been associated with sexual dysfunction in both men and women. The most implicated drugs are diuretics, beta-blockers, and centrally acting agents while angiotensin modulating drugs have proved to improve upon erectile dysfunction. The older generation of antihypertensive medications tends to have a negative impact on sexual performance. Females experience sexual dysfunction associated with hypertension and its treatment, but this is grossly under-reported compared to their male counterparts. The incidence in females is higher compared to men and it is sometimes erroneously considered as part of the post-menopausal period rather than hypertension. The impact of medications on sexual dysfunction has somewhat produced contrasting results with some studies showing an association with medications and others proving otherwise. Clinicians need to be aware of the impact of sexual dysfunction among hypertensive patients in order to make an informed decision regarding dosage and choice of medications while keeping target blood pressure in mind.
Published in | International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences (Volume 3, Issue 6) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15 |
Page(s) | 87-94 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Erectile Dysfunction, Hypertension, Antihypertensive Medications, Sexual Dysfunction
[1] | Burchardt, M., Burchardt, T., Anastasiadis, A. G., Kiss, A. J., Shabsigh, A., De La Taille, A., Shabsigh, R. (2001). Erectile dysfunction is a marker for cardiovascular complications and psychological functioning in men with hypertension. International Journal of Impotence Research, 13 (5), 276-281. |
[2] | Fisher, W. A., Rosen, R. C., Mollen, M., Brock, G., Karlin, G., Pommerville, P., Sand, M (2005). Improving the Sexual Quality of Life of Couples Affected by Erectile Dysfunction: A Double‐Blind, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Vardenafil. The Journal of SexualMedicine, 2 (5), 699-708. |
[3] | NIH Consensus Conference. Impotence. NIH Consensus Development Panel on Impotence. (1993). The Journal of the Ameri can Medical Association, 270 (1), 83-90. |
[4] | Bachmann, G. A., and Avci, D. (2004). Evaluation and Management of Female Sexual Dysfunction. The Endocrinologist, 14 (6), 337-345. |
[5] | Viigimaa, M., Doumas, M., Vlachopoulos, C., Anyfanti, P., Wolf, J., Narkiewicz, K., & Mancia, G. (2011). Hypertension and sexual dysfunction: time to act. Journal of Hypertension, 29 (2), 403-407. |
[6] | Fogari, R. (2002). Different effect of valsartan and lisinopril on sildenafil use in hypertensivemen with erectile dysfunction. American Journal of Hypertension, 15 (4), A37. |
[7] | Jackson, G., Rosen, R. C., Kloner, R. A., and Kostis, J. B. (2006). REPORT: The Second Princeton Consensus on Sexual Dysfunction and Cardiac Risk: New Guidelinesfor SexualMedicine. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 3 (1), 28-36. |
[8] | Montorsi, P., Montorsi, F., and Schulman, C. C. (2003). Is Erectile Dysfunction the “Tip of the Iceberg” of a Systemic Vascular Disorder? European Urology, 44 (3), 352-354. |
[9] | Virag, R., Bouilly, P., & Frydman, D. (1985). About arterial risk factors and impotence. The Lancet, 325 (8437), 1109-1110. |
[10] | Bocchio, m., Desideri, g., Scarpelli, p., Necozione, s., Properzi, g., Spartera, c., Francavilla, s. (2004). Endothelial cell activation in men with erectile dysfunction without cardiovascular risk factors and overt vascular damage. The Journal of Urology, 171 (4), 1601-1604. |
[11] | Albersen, M., Shindel, A., and Lue, T. (2009). Sexual dysfunction in the older man. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 19 (04), 237. |
[12] | Dean, J., De Boer, B., Graziottin, A., Hatzichristou, D., Heaton, J., and Tailor, A. (2006). The Role of Erection Hardness in Determining Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Treatment Outcome. European Urology Supplements, 5 (13), 767-772. |
[13] | Lewis, R. W., Fugl-Meyer, K. S., Corona, G., Hayes, R. D., Laumann, E. O., Moreira, E. D., Segraves, T. (2010). Definitions/Epidemiology/Risk Factors for Sexual Dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7 (4), 1598-1607. |
[14] | Feldman, H. A., Goldstein, I., Hatzichristou, D. G., Krane, R. J., and McKinlay, J. B. (1994). Impotence and Its Medical and Psychosocial Correlates: Results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. The Journal of Urology, 151 (1), 54-61. |
[15] | Moreira Júnior, E. D., Bestane, W. J., Bartolo, E. B., and Fittipaldi, J. A. (2002). Prevalence and determinants of erectile dysfunction in Santos, southeastern Brazil. Sao Paulo Medical Journal, 120 (2), 49-54. |
[16] | Braun, M., Wassmer, G., Klotz, T., Reifenrath, B., Mathers, M., and Engelmann, U. (2000). Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction: results of the ‘Cologne Male Survey’. International Journal of Impotence Research, 12 (6), 305-311. |
[17] | Chalupsky, K., and Cai, H. (2005). Endothelial dihydrofolate reductase: Critical for nitric oxide bioavailability and role in angiotensin II uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxidesynthase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102 (25), 9056-9061. |
[18] | Johnson, J. M., Bivalacqua, T. J., Lagoda, G. A., Burnett, A. L., and Musicki, B. (2011). eNOS-uncoupling in age-related erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Impotence Research, 23 (2), 43-48. |
[19] | Durante, W., Johnson, F. K., & Johnson, R. A. (2007). Arginase: a critical regulator of nitric oxide synthesis and vascular function. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 34 (9), 906-911. |
[20] | Yang, J., Gonon, A. T., Sjoquist, P., Lundberg, J. O., & Pernow, J. (2013). Arginase regulates red blood cell nitric oxide synthase and export of cardioprotective nitric oxide bioactivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110 (37), 15049-15054. |
[21] | Caldwell, R. B., Toque, H. A., Narayanan, S. P., & Caldwell, R. W. (2015). Arginase: an old enzyme with new tricks. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 36 (6), 395-405. |
[22] | Segal, R., Hannan, J. L., Liu, X., Kutlu, O., Burnett, A. L., Champion, H. C., Bivalacqua, T. J. (2012). Chronic Oral Administration of the Arginase Inhibitor 2 (S)-amino-6-boronohexanoic Acid (ABH) Improves Erectile Function in Aged Rats. Journal of Andrology, 33 (6), 1169-1175. |
[23] | Lacchini, R., Muniz, J. J., Nobre, Y. T., Cologna, A. J., Martins, A. C., and Tanus-Santos, J. E. (2017). Influence of arginase polymorphisms and arginase levels/activity on the response to erectile dysfunction therapy with sildenafil. The Pharmacogenomics Journal. |
[24] | Zanchetti, A. (2014). Predictive, mechanistic, and therapeutic studies on hypertension and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Journal of Hypertension, 32 (8), 1549-1550. |
[25] | Paneni, F., Diaz Cañestro, C., Libby, P., Lüscher, T. F., & Camici, G. G. (2017). The Aging Cardiovascular System. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 69 (15), 1952-1967. |
[26] | Scuteri, A., Morrell, C. H., Orru, M., Strait, J. B., Tarasov, K. V., Ferreli, L. A., Lakatta, E. G. (2014). Longitudinal Perspective on the Conundrum of Central Arterial Stiffness, Blood Pressure, and AgingNovelty and Significance. Hypertension, 64 (6), 1219-1227. |
[27] | Labbate, L. (2010). Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Erectile dysfunction predicts cardiovascular events in high-risk patients receiving telmisartan, ramipril, or both: The ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial/Telmisartan Randomized AssessmeNt Study in ACE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease (ONTARGET/TRANSCEND) Trials. F1000 - Post-publication peer review of the biomedical literature. |
[28] | Chew, K., Finn, J., Stuckey, B., Gibson, N., Sanfilippo, F., Bremner, A., Jamrozik, K. (2010). Erectile Dysfunction as a Predictor for Subsequent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events: Findings from a Linked-Data Study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7 (1), 192-202. |
[29] | Bohm, M., Baumhakel, M., Teo, K., Sleight, P., Probstfield, J., & Gao, P. (2010). Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Cardiovascular Events in High-Risk Patients Receiving Telmisartan, Ramipril, or Both: The ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial/Telmisartan Randomized AssessmeNt Study in ACE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease (ONTARGET/TRANSCEND) Trials. Circulation, 121 (12), 1439-1446. |
[30] | Thompson, I. M., Tangen, C. M., Goodman, P. J., Probstfield, J. L., Moinpour, C. M., and Coltman, C. A. (2006). Erectile Dysfunction and Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease—Reply. JAMA, 295 (17), 1998. |
[31] | Kaiser, D. R., Billups, K., Mason, C., Wetterling, R., Lundberg, J. L., and Bank, A. J. (2004). Impaired brachial artery endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation in men with erectile dysfunction and no other clinical cardiovascular disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 43 (2), 179-184. |
[32] | Grimm, R. H., Grandits, G. A., Prineas, R. J., McDonald, R. H., Lewis, C. E., Flack, J. M., Stamler, J. (1997). Long-term Effects on Sexual Function of Five Antihypertensive Drugs and Nutritional Hygienic Treatment in Hypertensive Men and Women: Treatment of Mild Hypertension Study (TOMHS). Hypertension, 29 (1), 8-14. |
[33] | Javaroni, V., and Neves, M. F. (2012). Erectile Dysfunction and Hypertension: Impact on Cardiovascular Risk and Treatment. International Journal of Hypertension, 2012, 1-11. |
[34] | Vlachopoulos, C., Aznaouridis, K., Ioakeimidis, N., Rokkas, K., Tsekoura, D., Vasiliadou, C., Stefanadis, C. (2008). Arterial function and intima-media thickness in hypertensive patients with erectile dysfunction. Journal of Hypertension, 26 (9), 1829-1836. |
[35] | Perry, H., Hall, W., Benz, J. R., Bartels, D. W., Kostis, J. B., Townsend, R. R., Sirgo, M. (1994). Efficacy and safety of atenolol, enalapril, and isradipine in elderly hypertensive women. The American Journal of Medicine, 96 (1), 77-86. |
[36] | Hosain, G. M., Latini, D. M., Kauth, M. R., Goltz, H. H., and Helmer, D. A. (2013). Racial Differences in Sexual Dysfunction Among Postdeployed Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. American Journal of Men's Health, 7 (5), 374-381. |
[37] | Kupelian, V., Link, C. L., Rosen, R. C., and McKinlay, J. B. (2008). Socioeconomic Status, Not Race/Ethnicity, Contributes to Variation in the Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction: Results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5 (6), 1325-1333. |
[38] | Park, J. K., Kim, S. Z., Kim, S. H., Park, Y. K., and Cho, K. W. (1997). Renin Angiotensin System in Rabbit Corpus Cavernosum. The Journal of Urology, 653-658. |
[39] | Weber, M. A. (2003). Review: Angiotensin II receptor blockers and cardiovascular outcomes: what does the future hold? Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, 4 (2), 62-73. |
[40] | Zablocki, D., and Sadoshima, J. (2010). The one-two punch: knocking out angiotensin II in the heart. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 120 (4), 1028-1031. |
[41] | Pedrosa, K., & Clinton, R. (2012). Mechanisms in Erectile Function and Dysfunction: An Overview. Erectile Dysfunction - Disease-Associated Mechanisms and Novel Insights into Therapy. |
[42] | Izzo Jr, J. L., and Weir, M. R. (2011). Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 13 (9), 667-675. |
[43] | Takai, S., and Miyazaki, M. (2002). The role of chymase in vascular proliferation. Drug News and Perspectives, 15 (5), 278. |
[44] | Seftel, A. D., Sun, P., and Swindle R. (2004). The prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and depression in men with erectile dysfunction. The Journal of Urology, 171 (6), 2341-2345. |
[45] | Stadler, T., Bader, M., Uckert, S., Staehler, M., Becker, A., and Stief, C. G. (2006). Adverse effects of drug therapies on male and female sexual function. World Journal of Urology, 24 (6), 623-629. |
[46] | Baumhäkel, M., Schlimmer, N., Kratz, M., Hacket, G., Jackson, G., and Böhm, M. (2011). Cardiovascular risk, drugs and erectile function - A systematic analysis. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 65 (3), 289-298. |
[47] | Gür, Ö., Gurkan, S., Yumun, G., and Turker, P. (2017). The Comparison of the Effects of Nebivolol and Metoprolol on Erectile Dysfunction in the Cases with Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 23 (2), 91-95. |
[48] | Tzemos, N., Lim, P. O., and MacDonald, T. M. (2001). Nebivolol Reverses Endothelial Dysfunction in Essential Hypertension: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study. Circulation, 104 (5), 511-514. |
[49] | Manolis, A., & Doumas, M. (2016). Erectile Function in Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension: the Role of Nebivolol. Journal of Hypertension: Open Access, 05 (02). |
[50] | Sharp, R. P., and Gales, B. J. (2017). Nebivolol versus other beta blockers in patients with hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 9 (2), 59-63. |
[51] | Doumas, M. (2006). Factors Affecting the Increased Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction in Greek Hypertensive Compared With Normotensive Subjects. Journal of Andrology, 27 (3), 469-477. |
[52] | Cordero, A., Bertomeu-Martanez, V., Mazan, P., Facila, L., Bertomeu-Gonzalez, V., Conthe, P., & Gonzalez-Juanatey, J. R. (2010). Erectile Dysfunction in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients Treated with Beta-Blockade Agents. Cardiovascular Therapeutics, 28 (1), 15-22. |
[53] | Brixius, K., Middeke, M., Lichtenthal, A., Jahn, E., and Schwinger, R. H. (2007). Nitric oxide, erectile dysfunction and beta-blocker treatment (MR NOED STUDY): Benefits ofnebivolol versus metoprolol in hypertensive men. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 34 (4), 327-331. |
[54] | Botros, S. M., Mohamed Hussein, A., and Elserafy, A. S. (2015). Effect of different beta-blockers on penile vascular velocities in hypertensive males. The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, 46 (3), 749-754. |
[55] | Boydak, B., Nalbantgil, S., Fici, F., Nalbantgil, I., Zoghi, M., Ozerkan, F., Onder, R. (2005). A Randomised Comparison of the Effects of Nebivolol and Atenolol with and without Chlorthalidone on? the Sexual Function of Hypertensive Men. Clinical Drug Investigation, 25 (6), 409-416. |
[56] | Silvestri, A. (2003). Report of erectile dysfunction after therapy with beta-blockers is related to patient knowledge of side effects and is reversed by placebo. European Heart Journal, 24 (21), 1928-1932. |
[57] | Cocco, G. (2009). Erectile Dysfunction after Therapy with Metoprolol: The Hawthorne Effect. Cardiology, 112 (3), 174-177. |
[58] | Ubaidi, B. A. (2015). Putting Evidence Based JNC 8 Guideline into Primary Care Practice. Journal of Hypertension: Open Access, 04 (01). |
[59] | Omvik P, Thaulow E, Herland OB, et al. Double-blind, parallel, comparative study on quality of life during treatment with amlodipine or enalapril in mild or moderate hypertensive patients: a multicentre study. Journal of Hypertension. 1993; 11 (1): 103–13. |
[60] | M. Bocchio, P. Scarpelli, S. Necozione. (2006). “Penile duplex pharmaco-ultrasonography of cavernous arteries in men with erectile dysfunction and generalized atherosclerosis,” International Journal of Andrology, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 496–501. |
[61] | Bowman, J. D., Kim, H., & Bustamante, J. J. (2012). Drug-Induced Gynecomastia. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 32 (12), 1123-1140. |
[62] | Knoepfelmacher, M., Villares, S., Nicolau, W., Germek, O., Lerario, A., Wajchenberg, B., and Liberman, B. (1994). Calcium and Prolactin Secretion in Humans: Effects of the Channel Blocker, Verapamil, in the Spontaneous and Drug-Induced Hyperprolactinemia. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 26 (10), 481-485. |
[63] | Kloner, R. A., and Henderson, L. (2013). Sexual Function in Patients With Chronic Angina Pectoris. The American Journal of Cardiology, 111 (11), 1671-1676. |
[64] | Onwuka, F. C., Iwuanyanwu, P., Nnodu, C., and Erhabor, O. (2015). Effect of amlodipine, a calcium channel antagonist, on gonadal steroid of male wistar albino rats. Maturitas, 81 (1), 208. |
[65] | Dusing, R. (2005). Sexual Dysfunction in Male Patients with Hypertension. Drugs, 65 (6), 773-786. |
[66] | Grossman, E., Verdecchia, P., Shamiss, A., Angeli, F., and Reboldi, G. (2011). Diuretic Treatment of Hypertension. Diabetes Care, 34 (Supplement_2), S313-S319. |
[67] | Wassertheil-Smoller, S., Oberman, A., Blaufox, M. D., Davis, B., & Langford, H. (1992). The Trial of Antihypertensive Interventions and Management (TAIM) Study: Final Results With Regard to Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Risk, and Quality of Life. American Journal of Hypertension, 5 (1), 37-44. |
[68] | Chang, S. W. (1991). The impact of diuretic therapy on reported sexual function. Archives of Internal Medicine, 151 (12), 2402-2408. |
[69] | Lue, T. F. (2000). Erectile Dysfunction. New England Journal of Medicine, 342 (24), 1802-1813. |
[70] | Fogari, R., & Zoppi, A. (2004). Effect of Antihypertensive Agents on Quality of Life in the Elderly. Drugs & Aging, 21 (6), 377-393. |
[71] | Dorrance, A. M., Lewis, R. W., & Mills, T. M. (2002). Captopril treatment reverses erectile dysfunction in male Stroke Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. International Journal of Impotence Research, 14 (6), 494-497. |
[72] | Ahmad, S., Simmons, T., Varagic, J., Moniwa, N., Chappell, M. C., and Ferrario, C. M. (2011). Chymase-Dependent Generation of Angiotensin II from Angiotensin-(1-12) in Human Atrial Tissue. PLoS ONE, 6 (12), e28501. |
[73] | Chiesa, A. D., Pfiffner, D., Meier, B. and Hess, O. M. (2003). Sexual activity in hypertensive men. Journal of Human Hypertension, 17 (8), 515-521. |
[74] | SHIMIZU, S., TSOUNAPI, P., HONDA, M., DIMITRIADIS, F., TANIUCHI, K., SHIMIZU, T., SAITO, M. (2014). Effect of an angiotensin II receptor blocker and a calcium channel blocker on hypertension associated penile dysfunction in a rat model. Biomedical Research, 35 (3), 215-221. |
[75] | Srilatha, B., Adaikan, P. G., Arulkumaran, S., and Ng, S. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction related to antihypertensive agents: results from the animal model. International Journal of Impotence Research, 11 (2), 107-113. |
[76] | Lovic, D. (2014). Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction. Erectile Dysfunction in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, 19-28. |
[77] | Ferrario, C. M. and Levy, P. (2002). Sexual Dysfunction in Patients With Hypertension: Implications for Therapy. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 4 (6), 424-432. |
APA Style
Bright Boafo Boamah, Edward Kwaku Armah, Gifty Oppong Boakye. (2017). A Review on Erectile Dysfunction Among Hypertensive Patients on Pharmacotherapy. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences, 3(6), 87-94. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15
ACS Style
Bright Boafo Boamah; Edward Kwaku Armah; Gifty Oppong Boakye. A Review on Erectile Dysfunction Among Hypertensive Patients on Pharmacotherapy. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Med. Sci. 2017, 3(6), 87-94. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15
AMA Style
Bright Boafo Boamah, Edward Kwaku Armah, Gifty Oppong Boakye. A Review on Erectile Dysfunction Among Hypertensive Patients on Pharmacotherapy. Int J Clin Exp Med Sci. 2017;3(6):87-94. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15
@article{10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15, author = {Bright Boafo Boamah and Edward Kwaku Armah and Gifty Oppong Boakye}, title = {A Review on Erectile Dysfunction Among Hypertensive Patients on Pharmacotherapy}, journal = {International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, pages = {87-94}, doi = {10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcems.20170306.15}, abstract = {Hypertension and its related disorders have a high mortality as well as morbidity and require strict adherence to medications in order to mitigate these consequences. Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among patients with hypertension and can either be attributed to the disease progression or as a result of antihypertensive medications. Most patients report the symptoms after initiation therapy and sometimes leads to a spurious association with antihypertensive drugs. However, most drugs in the antihypertensive classes have been associated with sexual dysfunction in both men and women. The most implicated drugs are diuretics, beta-blockers, and centrally acting agents while angiotensin modulating drugs have proved to improve upon erectile dysfunction. The older generation of antihypertensive medications tends to have a negative impact on sexual performance. Females experience sexual dysfunction associated with hypertension and its treatment, but this is grossly under-reported compared to their male counterparts. The incidence in females is higher compared to men and it is sometimes erroneously considered as part of the post-menopausal period rather than hypertension. The impact of medications on sexual dysfunction has somewhat produced contrasting results with some studies showing an association with medications and others proving otherwise. Clinicians need to be aware of the impact of sexual dysfunction among hypertensive patients in order to make an informed decision regarding dosage and choice of medications while keeping target blood pressure in mind.}, year = {2017} }
TY - JOUR T1 - A Review on Erectile Dysfunction Among Hypertensive Patients on Pharmacotherapy AU - Bright Boafo Boamah AU - Edward Kwaku Armah AU - Gifty Oppong Boakye Y1 - 2017/12/21 PY - 2017 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15 DO - 10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15 T2 - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences JF - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences JO - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences SP - 87 EP - 94 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2469-8032 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20170306.15 AB - Hypertension and its related disorders have a high mortality as well as morbidity and require strict adherence to medications in order to mitigate these consequences. Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among patients with hypertension and can either be attributed to the disease progression or as a result of antihypertensive medications. Most patients report the symptoms after initiation therapy and sometimes leads to a spurious association with antihypertensive drugs. However, most drugs in the antihypertensive classes have been associated with sexual dysfunction in both men and women. The most implicated drugs are diuretics, beta-blockers, and centrally acting agents while angiotensin modulating drugs have proved to improve upon erectile dysfunction. The older generation of antihypertensive medications tends to have a negative impact on sexual performance. Females experience sexual dysfunction associated with hypertension and its treatment, but this is grossly under-reported compared to their male counterparts. The incidence in females is higher compared to men and it is sometimes erroneously considered as part of the post-menopausal period rather than hypertension. The impact of medications on sexual dysfunction has somewhat produced contrasting results with some studies showing an association with medications and others proving otherwise. Clinicians need to be aware of the impact of sexual dysfunction among hypertensive patients in order to make an informed decision regarding dosage and choice of medications while keeping target blood pressure in mind. VL - 3 IS - 6 ER -