A recent study sponsored by the American Thoracic Society shows that erectile dysfunction (ED) can be one of the
dangers of sleep apnea.
The study looked at mice, exposing them to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), oxygen deprivation, similar to what a person with
sleep apnea suffers.
After a week of CIH exposure, the mice showed a 55 percent decline in their daily spontaneous erections.
After five weeks of exposure, the mice showed a 60-fold increase in their average interval between mounting mates, and a 40-fold increase in latency to intromission.
Latency to ejaculation was also seriously affected, increasing from just a few minutes to eleven hours.
The study looked at mice who were exposed to nocturnal CIH, and it monitored not only the visible sexual behaviors, but connected sexual hormones include testosterone and estrodiol, endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase is the hormone affected by sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil, the active ingredients in Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, respectively.
If you want to sleep better and be able to better enjoy your waking hours, contact the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center in Gurnee, Illinois, for a free sleep apnea consultation today.