If things have slowed down in the bedroom, a healthier lifestyle may help.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Sexual arousal may be hard to come by for women with high cholesterol levels. New research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women with higher cholesterol levels also reported more trouble lubricating and climaxing, which not surprisingly reduced their overall sexual satisfaction. A study published in the same issue found men with poor blood sugar control are also experiencing sexual trouble in the form of erectile dysfunction.

THE DETAILS: Low sexual desire was apparent after studying 441 premenopausal women with high cholesterol levels and 115 comparable women who had normal levels. Researchers determined the ladies’ cholesterol levels through blood tests and then asked them to complete sexual function questionnaires. Just 9 percent of the women with normal cholesterol scored below what’s considered normal for sexual health, while 32 percent of the women with high cholesterol scored below the threshold.

A separate study reported that diabetic men with better blood sugar control enjoyed better sexual health. Looking at nearly 800 men suffering from type 2 diabetes who were younger than 60 years old, researchers compared blood sugar levels and responses to sexual health questionnaires. Men with high levels of blood sugar were most likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.