Q: I am 53 years old and was diagnosed with hypertension early last year and have been taking antihypertensive medication to treat it. For the past 4 months, I have not been able to get an erection after having a normal sex life. Is this the cause of the disease or the medication? How can I treat it? A: In your case, it may be caused by both disease and medication. Hypertension itself is a risk factor for sexual dysfunction. This is because hypertension can not only cause sclerosis or narrowing of the large blood vessels in the heart, but also restrict the blood flow to the small vessels in the penis and other organs, reducing the blood flow to the penis and thus leading to erectile dysfunction. And some patients experience anxiety after suffering from hypertension, which can have an effect on both hypertension and erectile dysfunction. On the other hand, some hypertension medications themselves have side effects that cause erectile dysfunction. In addition, the decrease in testosterone concentration in men as they age may also lead to erectile dysfunction. Therefore, it is recommended that you talk to your primary care physician about the situation you are currently experiencing to determine if the erectile dysfunction is caused by taking antihypertensive medications or high blood pressure, as well as to test the testosterone concentration in your body in order to adjust your next treatment plan.