As part of an overall assessment of your erectile dysfunction, the Urologist may arrange for you to have some blood tests to check for any underlying causes of your ED. A blood test for erectile dysfunction often includes the following investigations:
Lipid Profile
We sometimes use this test to check for cardiovascular disease. We will check your cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
Glucose
This test measures the glucose levels in your blood. Abnormal levels of glucose in the blood may indicate onset of diabetes. Diabetes can affect the quality of your erections and lead to erectile dysfunction
HbA1C
With this erectile dysfunction blood test we can ascertain your average blood glucose levels over the past two to three months. We will measure the percentage of your red blood cells that have glucose coated haemoglobin
TSH
TSH is an abbreviation for Thyroid stimulating hormone. If you are found to have a high level of TSH in your blood, it could mean that you have an underactive thyroid.
Prolactin
The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. Prolactin is released by the pituitary gland. It regulates the body’s balance of a number of hormones. Prolactin is commonly checked in erectile dysfunction
Total Testosterone
This test will measure the level of this hormone in your blood. This hormone is the male sex hormone. Testosterone is made in the testes. It is important to check your testosterone levels as it is important for your sex drive. Testosterone levels decrease as you age.
Free Testosterone
This test measures the amount of unattached testosterone in your blood. Hence is it referred to as “free” testosterone.
It is as important test as not only does testosterone boost your sex drive, but it also helps to make sperm. It is an important test if you are having difficulties with orgasm.
PSA
PSA is an abbreviation for prostate specific antigen. It is an important part of erectile dysfunction testing as it measures the amount of PSA in your blood. The amount of PSA increases as you age. If we find a raised PSA level it may indicate a problem with your prostate, but this may not mean you have prostate cancer.
