Gout linked to elevated risk of erectile dysfunction finds study
A recent study has reported that the risk of erectile dysfunction in patients with gout was dramatically increased when compared with the general population, suggesting that clinicians should assess erectile function when treating an individual who suffers from gout.
Researchers have published the findings in Rheumatology International.
Gout has been known as one of the most relapsing inflammatory arthritis, which is typically characterized by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals involving joints and adjacent tissues. The most common sexual problems among men are erectile dysfunction (ED). It was reported that the prevalence of ED ranged from 1 to 10% among men younger than 40 years, and 50% among 40- to 70-year-old men.
Previous studies investigating the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) among patients with gout have produced inconsistent evidence.
Lianmin Luo and associates took up the study intending to investigate the relationship between gout and the risk of ED.
As the study sample, The Embase, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for all studies assessing the risk of ED in patients with gout. 355,761 participants were included from 8 studies (3 cross-sectional and 5 cohort studies). Of these, 85,067 were patients with gout.
On analysis, the following facts emerged.
- Patients with gout had a 1.2-fold higher risk of ED than individuals without gout (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10–1.31, P<0.001).
- Stratified analysis by the age shown that a similar association was detected in men younger than 50 years (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.34, P<0.001) and those older than 50 years (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06–1.35, P><0.001) and those older than 50 years (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06–1.35, P<0.001).
- When further stratified by geographic region, a statistically significant association between gout and risk of ED was observed for Taiwan (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.34, P=0.000), England (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04–1.34, P=0.01); however, a similar association was not found in the United States (RR 1.72, 95% CI 0.70–4.26, P=0.24) and Korea (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.11–3.53, P>0.05).
The study indicated a 20% increase in the risk of ED among subjects with gout compared with those without gout.
Different comorbidities can affect the risk of ED. Age, smoking, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, and anxiety can further act as triggering factors.
"Our results demonstrated that patients with gout have a significantly elevated risk of ED, which suggests that the erectile function should be assessed when clinicians manage patients with gout and provide corresponding specific therapies for patients with gout when necessary." wrote the researchers.
Primary source: Rheumatology International
For the full article, click on the link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-019-04365-x
