Fat affects testosterone, impacting sex

AUGUSTA, Ga., June 24 (UPI) -- As men get fatter, they are more likely to have trouble getting sexually aroused, since fat converts testosterone to estrogen, a U.S. sex expert says.

Dr. Ronald Lewis, an impotence expert at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine and president-elect of the 300-member Sexual Medicine Society of North America, said it's becoming clear that the inability to get an erection can be one of the most visible signs of cardiovascular disease.

"We tell people who see us for erectile dysfunction it's probably a good idea to get your heart vessels checked," Lewis said in a statement.

"Medicine is gaining a more comprehensive perspective on the causes, effects and potential treatment of sexual dysfunction."

Evidence is mounting, for example, that if one partner has problems, it's likely the other does as well. However, Lewis said treatments focused mostly on men, and rarely on women or couples, hinders effectiveness.

"If there is something breaking down between you and your partner of 20 years, you take it to work with you," Lewis said. "It probably produces more absenteeism. It probably has more impact on us and our environment than we think."