Do antihypertensive drugs of the "Lol" type really cause male dysfunction? The pharmacist tells you the truth

A 40-year-old male patient with hypertension left a message to Huazi, saying that his high blood pressure was 130 mmHg, low blood pressure was 100 mmHg, his resting heart rate was over 90, and he sometimes felt dizzy. He went to see a doctor, who told him to take metoprolol. However, he heard that metoprolol could cause male dysfunction and was afraid to take it, so he asked Huazi what he should do?

Many people have asked Huazi about this question. In fact, they are a little too worried. Not all "Lol" drugs will cause male dysfunction. Many times, the "obstacles" in their hearts are the key to the problem.

1. Mechanism of action of "Lol" drugs "Lol" drugs, also known as beta-blockers, work by blocking beta-receptors in the human body. There is not just one type of beta-receptors in the human body, but they are divided into beta-1-receptors, beta-2-receptors, and beta-3-receptors. "Lol" drugs mainly act on the first two types, beta-1-receptors and beta-2-receptors. When beta-1-receptors are blocked, myocardial contractility is weakened, heart rate is lowered, and blood pressure is lowered; when beta-2-receptors are blocked, side effects unrelated to cardiovascular disease are produced.

The first "lol" drug developed was propranolol, which has no selectivity for β1-receptors and β2-receptors, and will produce blocking effects on both, with significant side effects. Now, metoprolol and bisoprolol are commonly used, which are selective β1-receptor blockers, with extremely strong effects on β1-receptors and very weak effects on β2-receptors.

2. The effect of "Lol" drugs on male function The use of "Lol" drugs causes decreased libido and erectile dysfunction (ED), which is mainly common in propranolol. The mechanism of this side effect is not very clear, it may be related to propranolol inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system and reducing the impulse of the central nervous system. In addition, this drug has a certain sedative effect, which may lead to decreased libido.

Metoprolol and bisoprolol, which selectively inhibit β1-receptors, performed much better than propranolol. In a double-blind randomized trial, metoprolol did not affect male function in patients, and in a Russian study, bisoprolol even improved male function to a certain extent.

There is also a very interesting clinical trial with a small sample size. A group of patients were randomly divided into two groups, and both took metoprolol at the same time. One group of patients was told that taking metoprolol might cause male dysfunction, and the incidence of "problems" in this group of patients exceeded 30%. The other group of patients was not told what kind of drug they were taking, and the incidence of "problems" was only 3%.

That is to say, "psychological suggestion" can make the test results differ by 10 times. In fact, from the existing research, selective β1-receptor blockers have little effect on male function. People who have "problems" after taking "Lol" drugs cannot rule out the interference of psychological factors.

3. Overcome the "hurdle" in your heart. Male dysfunction caused by high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes, alcoholism, and smoking has a much greater impact than antihypertensive drugs. Statistics show that among male ED patients, 70-80% are caused by psychological factors. Most people do not have organic lesions, but only because of their own excessive mental stress or psychological suggestion, they have "problems".

Many ED patients, after receiving psychological treatment, relieved their anxiety and tension, and their symptoms were significantly relieved. In some clinical trials, the use of placebos to treat ED patients also produced significant effects. These show that many people have "problems" just because they have a "hurdle" in their hearts, not because there is really a problem with their bodies. As long as you find a way to overcome the "hurdle" in your heart, the "problem" will be solved.

To sum up, the truth about the effect of "Lol" drugs on male function is actually closely related to psychological factors. Men with high blood pressure do not need to worry too much about the effect on male function when using "Lol" drugs with high selectivity for β1-receptors. In comparison, the effect of high blood pressure on the body is much more serious, not only causing ED, but also cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, so it is more important to control blood pressure.

Everyone should learn the correct drug knowledge and not let themselves have psychological burden. After controlling blood pressure, you should exercise more, especially strength training, which can increase testosterone secretion and make yourself more "manly". I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and let me be the pharmacist by your side.