Rising Gout Cases May Impact Male Sexual Health

On their website, the UK Gout Society shares: “Gout affects between 2 and 3 in every 100 people in the UK. It usually occurs in men over 30 and women after menopause – and is over five times more common in men than women.”

This disease was once called the “disease of kings”, as it was historically associated with the wealthy and powerful ruling class who could afford extravagant diets. However, it is now the most common form of inflammatory arthritis worldwide

The NHS explains that gout is characterised by “sudden severe pain in a joint – usually your big toe, but it can be in other joints in your feet, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows or knees”, and “hot, swollen, red skin over the affected joint – redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin”.

Now, researchers have identified, and are studying a highly common symptom that accompanies gout: erectile dysfunction.

Back in 2021, a review of nine studies found that patients who lived with both gout and erectile dysfunction often had abnormally high levels of uric acid – a normal waste product created when the body breaks down chemicals called purines- in their blood, leading the review authors to suggest that erectile dysfunction could be treated with urate-lowering therapies.

Last year, scientists built upon that idea in a study that analysed clinical data from people age 24 to 49 and found that the odds of erectile dysfunction were more than 2.5 times greater for every 100 μmol/L increase in serum uric acid.

While studies are ongoing, the authors shared that treatments that lower uric acid could potentially restore erectile function.

Gout can be caused by being overweight, drinking alcohol or having high cholestoral, according to the NHS, and because these are linked to lifestyle, there is often a shame surrounding the disease.

Authors of a 2019 paper concluded: “Gout seems to lead to stigma and many patients may feel guilty about their lifestyle choices. Actions need to be taken to manage dissatisfaction of patients and to encourage them to speak up to request better management of the disease.

“There seems to be an urgent need to educate both patients and the general public about the seriousness of gout and the burden on patients and their families.”

Similarly, the intimate nature of erectile dysfunction puts people off speaking to their doctors about it. Back in 2023, a survey by TRTed and The Urology Foundation revealed that almost half of men (46%) would not book an appointment to speak to their doctor about this condition.

While this is an intimate, sensitive topic for you, it’s worth remembering that it’s extremely run-of-the-mill for your GP. According to the NHS, at your appointment you can expect:

• the doctor or nurse may ask about your lifestyle and relationships, and any problems you might be having
• they may do some basic health checks, such as taking your blood pressure
• they may examine your genitals to rule out any obvious physical cause

If you’re still uncomfortable, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) have a range of support available to anybody struggling with the mental health impacts of erectile dysfunction.