Erectile Dysfunction Blood Test

NICE recommends that men with erectile dysfunction have their blood sugar (HbA1c or fasting glucose), cholesterol profile and a morning testosterone checked, because diabetes, cardiovascular disease and low testosterone are the three physical causes most often found. This test includes all of those, and adds prolactin and thyroid function, which are checked when testosterone is low, and PSA for men over 50 or before any testosterone treatment.

Most persistent erectile dysfunction has a physical cause, and the commonest are narrowed blood vessels from high cholesterol, high blood pressure or smoking; diabetes, which damages both nerves and vessels; and low testosterone. Other causes include thyroid disease, high prolactin, some medications (particularly for blood pressure and depression), alcohol, and psychological factors such as stress, anxiety and relationship problems, which often coexist with a physical cause. Because erectile dysfunction can be an early sign of heart disease, it is worth investigating rather than treating symptoms alone.

A GP will ask about your general health, medication, alcohol, smoking and mood, check blood pressure and weight, and arrange blood tests for HbA1c, cholesterol and testosterone. This test provides those results in advance, so a GP appointment can start with the findings rather than a request for tests. It measures the same markers a GP would order.

Yes, though it is a less common cause than blood vessel and diabetes-related problems. Low testosterone reduces libido and can make erections harder to achieve and sustain, and it usually comes with tiredness, low mood and loss of muscle. A single morning testosterone below the reference range should be repeated before any treatment; if confirmed, your GP or a specialist will look at the cause, which is where the prolactin and thyroid results in this test come in.

Yes. The home kit takes a small finger-prick sample that you post back to the laboratory in the packaging provided, and it measures the same 11 markers as the clinic test with the same GP report. The kit arrives in plain packaging. Take the sample first thing in the morning before eating. If you would rather not take your own sample, choose a clinic appointment or a nurse home visit at checkout.

See a GP promptly if erectile dysfunction comes with chest pain or breathlessness on exertion, leg pain when walking, blood in the urine or semen, pain on erection, a bend or lump in the penis, or if it appeared suddenly after an injury. Erectile dysfunction in a man under 40 with no obvious cause, or alongside symptoms of low testosterone such as shrinking testicles or breast tissue growth, should also be assessed.

Prostate-specific antigen is included because erectile dysfunction is common in the age group where prostate problems begin, and because PSA must be checked before testosterone replacement is considered. It is not a test for the cause of erectile dysfunction itself. A raised PSA needs follow-up with your GP regardless of the reason you took the test.

A private erectile dysfunction blood test costs from £79 at Goodbody Clinic. The home finger-prick kit is £79, a blood draw at one of our clinics is £109 and a nurse home visit is £129. Every option includes laboratory analysis of all 11 markers and a GP report.

Order the home kit online, book a blood draw at one of Goodbody's 250+ partner clinics across the UK, or arrange a nurse home visit. No GP referral is needed. Find your nearest clinic.

Your GP report explains it and says what to do. A raised HbA1c or cholesterol points to a treatable cause and your GP can confirm and manage it. Low testosterone should be repeated on another morning before any decision. A raised PSA or prolactin needs GP follow-up. If every marker is normal, the report will say so and suggest what to discuss with your GP next, since treatment for erectile dysfunction is effective whatever the cause.