Location of the Hypothalamus
* Kisspeptin to the rescue
* Says Viagra is ineffective
By Corrie Pelc (MNT)
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) affects about 30% of women and 15% of men.
Researchers from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom say the hormone kisspeptin could be used to treat HSDD.
Scientists found that kisspeptin helps improve sexual brain processing, boosting sexual responses in both men and women with low sex drive.
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) — where a person has an extremely low sex drive that causes them distress — affects about 30% of women and 15% of men.
Treatment options for HSDD include psychotherapy, sex therapy, lifestyle changes, medications, and hormonal therapies.
Adding to these choices, researchers from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom say the hormone kisspeptin could be used to treat HSDD by boosting their sexual response.
Two studies examining the effect of kisspeptin on HSDD were recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open — one focused on womenTrusted Source and the other on men.
What is HSDD?
HSDD research suggests that it tends to affect more women than men. The condition may come on at any time and can either be a long-term issue or only occur in certain situations.
Those at a higher risk for HSDD include those with:
low testosterone or estrogen levels
diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and thyroid disorders
mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, and stress
experiencing medication side effects
relationship issues
low self-esteem
a smoking habit.
Symptoms of HSDD include:
little to no sexual desire
little to no sexual thoughts
no interest in masturbation
inability to be aroused
no response to sexual signals
inability to orgasm
loss of erectile or ejaculatory function in men.
A person can have a low sex drive but not have HSDD. When a person has HSDD, it causes them distress.
Previous research finds people with HSDD have a lower quality of life, lower general happiness, and experience more negative emotions.
What is kisspeptin?
Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring hormone found in the hypothalamus region of the brain. It helps stimulate the release of other reproductive hormones in the body.
Past research shows that kisspeptin plays an important role in the female reproductive system, and it also helps regulate a person’s emotions and mood.
According to Dr. Alexander Comninos, honorary senior lecturer in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction at Imperial College London, consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and co-senior author of the studies, about 10 years ago scientists realized that there was a lot of kisspeptin in areas of the brain related to sexual behavior.
“We tested this in healthy men and found that there was a boosting of sexual brain pathways,” he explained to Medical News Today. “Hence, we wanted to see if we could translate this to determine if giving kisspeptin could help individuals distressed about their low sexual desire.”
Dr. Comninos added there is currently a need for new treatment options for HSDD.
“Currently available treatments in [the] U.S, for women have limited effectiveness and carry significant side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, and interactions with alcohol,” he detailed.
“In men, there are no licensed treatments, as Viagra is predominantly a mechanical agent acting on the penis. Hence there is a significant unmet need to discover new safe and effective treatments for distressing low sexual desire,” Dr. Comninos explained.
Treating HSDD with kisspeptin
For these studies, researchers conducted two clinical trials — one with 32 premenopausal women and another with 32 men, all with an HSDD diagnosis. Participants underwent MRI brain scans, as well as blood and behavioral tests.
At the conclusion of the studies, researchers found men and women who received the treatment with kisspeptin experienced increased sexual brain processing, resulting in positive effects on their sexual behavior, compared to participants who had not received the hormone.
“Kisspeptin receptors are in the reward areas which control sexual desire in the brain,” Prof. Waljit Dhillo, an NIHR senior investigator in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction at Imperial College London. consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and co-senior author of the studies told MNT.
“When men and women are looking at erotic images, their reward areas in the brain which control sexual arousal are more stimulated,” he explained.
“Our results suggest that giving kisspeptin can restore and even boost the brain balance related to sexual behavior,” Dr. Comninos added.
“It appears to suppress areas related to overthinking that are often overactive in HSDD and thereby release the brake on sexual arousal so they become more aroused. It was great to see that both women and men responded well to kisspeptin and in men, there was even a pro-erectile effect.”
– Dr. Alexander Comninos
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