Gout: Men are more likely to have problems with potency
All content is checked by medical journalists.MunichMen with gout often have problems with potency. A team led by rheumatism specialist Dr. Naomi Schleisinger at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New York State found that every third gout patient suffers from erectile dysfunction. But there are often other health problems as well.
The researchers compared men with the metabolic disease gout with those who suffered from other joint diseases such as joint wear and tear or chronic polyarthritis (rheumatism). They have now presented the results at the congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Paris.
Sexual Health Questions
The researchers interviewed 201 men between the ages of 18 and 89 who were treated in a rheumatism clinic between 2010 and 2013. 83 of them suffered from gout. The subjects answered the so-called "Sexual Health Inventory For Men" (SHIM), a standardized questionnaire on sexual health. This divides the ability to erect and penetrate during sexual intercourse, the strength of the erection and sexual satisfaction in five levels: no disorders of the sexual function (26-30 points), slight disorders (22-25), slight to moderate impairments (17- 21), moderate (11-16) and severe erectile dysfunction (1-10).
The result: The gout patients not only suffered more often from potency problems than men with other joint diseases (76 percent versus 52). In 43 percent there was even severe impotence, in the comparison patients it was only 30 percent. Gout patients in whom nodules had already formed on the joints, the so-called gout tophi, were particularly badly affected. "We were really surprised how many gout patients suffered from erectile dysfunction," explains study author Dr. Naomi Schleisinger.
Actively interview patients
Often the impotence is not even known, says Schleisinger. Another reason for this may be that men usually don't like to talk about sexual problems. The scientist advises that doctors should actively ask their gout patients about potency problems. Since the risk factors for cardiovascular complications add up in men with gout and erectile dysfunction, those affected should also be examined for coronary artery disease.
Uric acid crystals in the joints
In gout, the uric acid metabolism is disturbed. This leads to an increase in uric acid in the blood. This does not automatically lead to gout symptoms immediately. However, if the uric acid builds up in crystals in the joints, these can become inflamed and trigger a gout attack. Triggers for this include foods that are too fatty, large amounts of alcohol or some infectious diseases.
It is estimated that around five percent of men in Germany suffer from erectile dysfunction. However, since many keep the ailment silent, experts suspect that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher. Common risk factors for impaired blood flow to the erectile tissue of the penis include being overweight or high blood pressure. (jb)
Source: Schlesinger N. et al. Erectile dysfunction is common among gout patients. European League against Rheumatism (EULAR 2014).
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