Osteoarthritis in men closely linked with erectile dysfunction: Study

A new study published in the Frontiers in Endocrinology found that erectile dysfunction (ED) is more common in patients with arthritis. In America, 46.1% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 have ED, but in Europe, the percentage ranges from 42.1% to 52.5%. Despite not being fatal, the inflammation has a significant negative influence on the quality of life of a person. Many medical conditions, including diabetes and hypertension, as well as environmental, psychological and lifestyle variables have been linked to the development of this disorder. Thus, this study by Changjin Liu and colleagues evaluated the relationship between arthritis and erectile dysfunction.

The study utilized participant data from the 2001 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and weighted logistic regression with subgroup analyses to assess any potential associations between ED and arthritis. Since these datasets were the only cycles with comprehensive ED and arthritis data, they were selected. Male patients under the age of 20, female patients and patients lacking relevant information were excluded.

The patients with ED and/or arthritis were classified using the NHANES self-report questionnaire. Using multivariate-adjusted models, several confounders that could affect the relationship between the conditions were revealed. These included race, age, body mass index (BMI), education level, insurance status, marital status, exercise status, smoking status, alcohol intake and a host of other pertinent comorbidities.

The outcomes of this study included a total of 3,646 patients in the analysis. 1012 (27.8%) and 795 (18.5%) of these patients had a history of ED and arthritis, respectively. The patients with ED were more likely to be married, older, less educated, from a low socioeconomic background, and physically inactive. The findings also reported greater incidences of arthritis (P <.001). Also, patients with arthritis were older, married, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, physically inactive, less educated, and primarily White. This group also had greater rates of ED (P <.001).

ED was linked to arthritis, which was considerable even after adjustments. After full correction, osteoarthritis remained strongly connected with ED. However, rheumatoid arthritis and other kinds of arthritis were not significantly related to the disease. Subgroup analyses revealed a continuous positive connection between the variables across subgroups by demonstrating the robustness of the findings. Also, significant differences were seen among White patients, the individuals under 60 years old, and the individuals who did not disclose alcohol usage (P <.05). Early detection and treatment of ED in individuals with arthritis can significantly improve their quality of life by preventing the need of expensive healthcare.

Reference:

Liu, C., Lei, Q., Li, J., & Liu, W. (2024). Arthritis increases the risk of erectile dysfunction: Results from the NHANES 2001-2004. In Frontiers in Endocrinology (Vol. 15). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1390691