If you suffer from gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in men over 40, you’ve got more to worry about than just this painful condition. Researchers from the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey now link gout to both erectile dysfunction (ED) and silent coronary heart disease.
ED Caused by Gout
Lead researcher Dr. Naomi Schlesinger, head of the Division of Rheumatology at RWJ, and her team discovered these connections while seeing arthritis patients at a local clinic.
The study surveyed 83 men with gout, using the Sexual Health Inventory in Men questionnaire, and discovered that over 75% of these men struggled with ED both mild and severe. Dr. Schlesinger noted the relief that patients felt by finally addressing this sensitive issue, saying, “Men don’t usually volunteer sexual complaints. The gout patients in our study were generally delighted and grateful that someone finally asked them about ED.”
Future patient care of those men with gout will include screening for ED to support treatment planning.
ED Predicts Silent Coronary Heart Disease
An additional finding that surprised the research team is the connection between ED, gout, and heart disease.
Dr. Schlesinger said, “A man with ED, even with no cardiac symptoms, is a cardiac patient until proven otherwise…. [W]e could say that the 3 ‘EDs’ are related: endothelial dysfunction leads to erectile dysfunction leads to early death.”
This potent co-morbidity combination requires special attention by those who treat patients with ED. Patients often fail to discuss ED with their medical specialists, not understanding the connections between diseases. Dr. Schlesinger recommends physicians take the lead to screen their gout patients for ED and their ED patients for gout and silent coronary heart disease so that early warning signs are caught before they result in patient death.
ED Is Sometimes a Symptom of an Underlying Problem
This new study points to two other medical conditions that are linked to ED. In some cases, ED is a symptom of an underlying problem. That’s why it’s so important to see a doctor when you’re suffering with this seemingly embarrassing condition. Only a doctor can access your health condition and determine if other treatments, in addition to treating ED, is needed.
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