Laboratory tests and other tests

Here are presented the most common laboratory tests useful in diagnosing erectile dysfunction:

  • Complete blood counts
  • Urinalysis: An abnormal urinalysis may point on diabetes mellitus or kidney damage.
  • Lipid profile: High levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the blood suggests atherosclerosis.
  • Blood glucose levels: Too high blood glucose levels may suggest diabetes mellitus.
  • Blood Hemoglobin A 1c: Too high levels of blood hemoglobin A 1c in men suffering from diabetes mellitus points that there is poor control of glucose levels in blood.
  • Serum creatinine: An abnormal serum creatinine may be caused by kidney damage due to diabetes.
  • Total testosterone levels: The level of testosterone changes during the day. That is why the blood samples for testosterone level tests have to be taken in the morning - before 8 am. A low total level of testosterone may suggest hypogonadism. There is a better test than a test for a total testosterone level - bio-available testosterone level test. This test is more useful for obese patients with liver disorders. This way of measuring the testosterone level is not very common.
  • PSA levels: PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood levels and prostate examination is vital before starting a testosterone treatment. It is important to examine a patient whether he suffers from prostate cancer or not. The testosterone treatment may aggravate the prostate cancer.

It is possible to assess whether the erectile dysfunction is caused by psychological or physical factors. It is possible by monitoring whether the erection occurs during a sleep (nocturnal penile tumescence). If the erection occurs then it is very probable that the erectile dysfunction is caused only by psychological problems. If the erection does not occur it suggests that ED is results from some physical causes. The tests based on monitoring nocturnal erection are not completely reliable and scientists are still not sure how to interpret the results and which men should be examined in that way.

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