Men with Hypersexual disorder may have elevated levels of the "love hormone"
WASHINGTON- Oxytocin acts as counterregulatory neuroendocrine hormone to cortisol and is also involved in sexual behavior. Hypersexual disorder (HD) is considered a nonparaphilic sexual desire disorder that involves excessive and persistent sexual behaviors in relation to various mood states, with an impulsivity component and experienced loss of control.
Men with hypersexual disorder may have higher levels of oxytocin in their blood than men without the disorder, according to a small study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
This is the first study to investigate oxytocin in HD using a longitudinal study approach. We present our novel findings in demonstrating elevated plasma oxytocin levels in cases of HD compared to controls. Moreover, we provide evidence that these excessive oxytocin levels are effectively normalized after CBT treatment. As such, oxytocin holds promise as a potential biomarker for HD diagnostics and as a measure of disease severity. Taken together, these findings motivate further research to elucidate the explicit role of oxytocin in HD pathophysiology. Importantly, additional studies excluding potential confounding factors from recent sexual activity are needed before causality can be inferred.
