Can Poor Heart Health Be a Roadblock in the Bedroom?

Health News

By VRP Staff

In a word, yes… and a far bigger one than you may think. In fact, 75 percent of men with ischemic heart disease also struggle with performance problems in the bedroom—and trouble “rising to the occasion” has been found to be directly linked to the number of coronary vessel blockages among male patients.1-2

Even women aren’t exempt from this frustrating reality: Research suggests that up to 60 percent of females with coronary artery disease (CAD) are running into roadblocks when it comes to physical intimacy, too. That’s nearly twice as many reports of a plummeting libido and lackluster arousal as you’ll find among their healthy counterparts.3

If these statistics tell you anything, it’s that your heart and your sex drive share a connection that runs far deeper than romance—and evidence points to nitric oxide (NO) as the most obvious missing link.4 This chemical messenger is a critical vasodilator—that is, it relaxes your smooth muscle cells, allowing blood vessels to widen and blood to flow more freely in response. Not only does this action play a vital role in regulating your blood pressure, but it’s also a key component of male and female arousal—making way for ample engorgement of the genitals in both sexes.5

Whether you’re a man or a woman, there’s no question that ample stores of nitric oxide are the secret to a healthy heart and a healthy sex life—and for that, you won’t find a better natural resource than the amino acid arginine.

As the metabolic precursor to NO, L-arginine has been shown in animal and human studies to dramatically improve measures of genital engorgement—and it’s been proven effective in an impressive 80 percent of cases where poor circulation plays a role in sexual dysfunction. Clinical trials reveal that 2.8 grams of arginine a day can improve erectile dysfunction (ED) in up to 40 percent of men in as little as two weeks—while doubling nitric oxide concentrations in patients in higher doses over similar periods of time.6-7 And the powerful protection it can provide your heart is just the icing on the cake.

In a recent study of heart failure patients, researchers found that oral L-arginine supplementation enhanced endurance-related recovery markers significantly—including decreased heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory parameters, and plasma lactate during exercise tests—over a six-week trial period. No significant changes, however, were seen in the control group.8

Another study showed equally promising results with L-arginine administration. These researchers reported that L-arginine can improve recovery from cardiac ischemia—during which the heart is deprived of oxygen—in an animal model of high cholesterol. Only this time, the protection this amino acid offered appeared to be independent of NO levels altogether—meaning that arginine boosts cardiovascular health by way of several different mechanisms.9

The evidence speaks for itself: If you’re looking for more satisfying sex, better endurance, crucial heart protection or all of the above, a daily dose of L-arginine—available through Vitamin Research Products—is always the smartest place to start.

References:

1. Kloner RA, Mullin SH, Shook T, et al. Erectile dysfunction in the cardiac patient: how common and should we treat? J Urol. 2003;170:S46-S50.

2. Greenstein A, Chen J, Miller H, et al. Does severity of ischemic coronary disease correlate with erectile function? Int J Impot Res. 1997;9:123-126.

3. Kaya C, Yilmaz G, Nurkalem Z, Ilktac A, Karaman MI. Sexual function in women with coronary artery disease: a preliminary study. Int J Impot Res. 2006 Dec 14; [Epub ahead of print].

4. Sullivan ME, Thompson CS, Dashwood MR, et al. Nitric oxide and penile erection: is erectile dysfunction another manifestation of vascular disease? Cardiovasc Res. 1999;43:658-665.

5. MacKay D. Nutrients and Botanicals for Erectile Dysfunction: Examining the Evidence. Alternative Medicine Review. 2004; 9(1):4-16.

6. Zorgniotti AW, Lizza EF. Effect of large doses of the nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine, on erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res. 1994;6:33-35.

7. Chen J, Wollman Y, Chernichovsky T, et al. Effect of oral administration of high-dose nitric oxide donor L-arginine in men with organic erectile dysfunction: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. BJU Int. 1999;83:269-273.

8. Doutreleau S, Mettauer B, Piquard F, Rouyer O, Schaefer A, Lonsdorfer J, Geny B. Chronic L-arginine supplementation enhances endurance exercise tolerance in heart failure patients. Int J Sports Med. 2006 Jul;27(7):567-72.

9. Prasan AM, McCarron HCK, Zhang Y, Jeremy RW. Myocardial Release of Nitric Oxide During Ischaemia and Reperfusion: Effects of l-Arginine and Hypercholesterolaemia. Heart Lung and Circulation. Article in Press.