Yes. The health and lifestyle factors that predispose men to gout are also correlated with greater risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).
The potential connection between gout and erection problems isn’t a new idea, but it’s one that’s making headlines.
The two may seem unrelated. After all, gout is a condition that affects the joints, while erections are related to blood flow. But a new study, presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in June of 2014, examines the relationship between gout and problems achieving an erection once again. This time there’s more solid evidence.
Men who suffer from cardiovascular disease are at risk for erection difficulties. And the link between gout and cardiovascular disease has been studied since at least the early 1900s.
So it’s not as much of a stretch as you might think, this relationship between swelling and pain in the joints and another condition that leads to weaker erections or the loss of erections altogether. In fact, this study shows good reason for all men who have gout to be screened for erection problems.
Cardiovascular Disease and Erection Issues
Erections require a series of events to happen at the right time. First there is sexual stimulation. From there, the brain sends a signal down to a set of nerves near the base of the spine.
These nerves trigger the release of nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to dilate, which allows more blood to flow into the penis. This extra blood, in conjunction with a constriction of blood vessels leaving the penis, is what creates an erection.
Cardiovascular disease can impair the process in a very simple and direct way. When there is plaque buildup inside the blood vessels, less blood can flow through them. Because the vessels that supply the penis are small, they may be among the first in the body to have plaque buildup.
For this reason, weak erections are often considered one of the first warning signs of cardiovascular disease.
Gout and Cardiovascular Disease
The connection between gout and cardiovascular disease might not seem as clear cut, but it has been studied for many years. The Mayo Clinic explains that men with hypertension, as well as men who take thiazide medications to control hypertension, are at a higher risk of gout.
Where gout is present, there is an excess of uric acid in the bloodstream. Normally, uric acid is processed by the kidneys, and all excess is flushed out with urine. When there is too much uric acid being created, or if the kidneys aren’t functioning properly to flush it out, high levels can lead to urate crystals forming in the joints, particularly in the feet and ankles.
This buildup of urate crystals is what causes the inflammation and pain of gout.
The scientific reasoning behind why the connection exists is complex, but it can be explained fairly simply. Cardiovascular disease and high levels of uric acid in the bloodstream are known to be related. Where high levels of uric acid exist, gout is often not far behind, because too much uric acid in the bloodstream, and not enough being processed out, causes urate crystals to form in the joints. Cause and effect.
How the Study was Conducted
The study presented at the EULAR, and summarized at MedScape, revealed a strong relationship between gout and erection problems. Two hundred one men, ranging in age from 18 to 89, participated in the study, which took place between August of 2010 through May of 2013. Of the 210 men, 83 suffered from gout. And more men with gout had erection problems than those who did not have gout.
All of the men in the study filled out a survey, the Sexual Health Inventory in Men, or SHIM. This survey asked participants to rate erection health using several factors, including whether or not they had the ability to achieve an erection, usual erection firmness, the ability to have an erection firm enough for sex, and overall sexual satisfaction. Men who scored less than or equal to 21 were said to have erection difficulties. Men who scored less than or equal to 10 were said to experience severe erection problems.
The overall average score on the SHIM was 14.38. But the difference between men with and those without gout was marked. Men with gout scored an average of 14.38, while those who did not have gout scored an average of 18.53.
Further, not just more, but many more men with gout suffered from erection difficulties. Of the men with gout, 76 percent reported symptoms of erection difficulties. Fifty-two percent of men without gout had similar results. Additionally, 43 percent of men with gout reported severe erection difficulties, while 30 percent of men without gout reported the same.
What Other Research Shows
In relatively recent years, dating back to 2004, uric acid’s relationship to cardiovascular disease was becoming known. The medical opinion, “Uric Acid: Role in Cardiovascular Disease and Effects of Losartan,” by Michael Alderman and Kala J. V. Alyer (2004) says uric acid is a common risk factor marker for hypertension, obesity, renal disease, and other health conditions. But this opinion looked at the possible direct and independent link between high uric acid and cardiovascular mortality.
This opinion concluded that there is strong evidence to suggest an independent link between uric acid levels and the risk of cardiovascular mortality.
In 2010, the American College of Rheumatology published an abstract supplement that outlined the association between erection problems and more well-known health conditions, such as hypertension and obesity. It also examined the possibility that gout was related to erection problems, even when the other health conditions were not present.
Like the more recent 2014 study, the results showed that men with gout are much more likely to experience difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection than men who do not have gout. The study did not, however, have a conclusion on whether gout was a possible cause of erection problems when the other health conditions were not present.
The connection between gout and erection health is clear; it’s the overall relationship that’s still murky. While it’s been documented, that men with gout are very likely to experience erection health issues, what’s still unclear is whether gout is a possible cause or simply a common related condition.
For men with gout, the risk is high for both cardiovascular and erection problems. But as long as patients don’t take nitrates for chest pain, they may find erection health restored with a prescription for one of the PDE5 inhibitor medications on the market.
PDE5 inhibitors are a class of drugs that include Cialis, Levitra, Staxyn, and others. They work by helping increase blood flow to the penis, which can help erection function return.
If you suffer from gout and have erection difficulties, your doctor can determine if one of the PDE5 inhibitor medications is right for you. Many men can take them safely, and the majority of men who take them have good results.
eDrugstore.com sells PDE5 inhibitors, including Viagra, Levitra, Staxyn, Stendra, and Cialis. We offer you privacy and the convenience of online shopping, and your discreetly-packed shipment arrives right at your door. If you’re ready to try something that works for erection health, see what eDrugstore.com has to offer.
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