Erectile Dysfunction, Uric Acid Linked in CAD Patients

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are more likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) if they have elevated uric acid levels, according to researchers.

In a cross-sectional study of 312 men with suspected CAD, 149 (47.7%) had ED as determined using the short version of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. After adjusting for age and CAD, each 1 mg/dL increment in serum uric acid was associated with a significant 31% increased risk of ED, researchers reported in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (2014;11:165-172). After further adjustment for estimated glomerular filtration rate, each 1 mg/dL increment in uric acid was associated with a non-significantly 21% increased risk of ED.

The investigators, led by Mehmet Kanbay, MD, of Istanbul Medeniyet University in Turkey, noted that ED is associated with CAD, with prospective observational studies suggest that men with ED are at risk for future cardiovascular events. They hypothesized that increased serum uric acid levels may be one of the missing links between CAD and ED.

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