The relationship between serum uric acid level and uric acid/creatinine ratio with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity (stable or acute exacerbation) and the development of cor pulmonale.

BACKGROUND: There are studies reporting that uric acid elevation is a marker for hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension secondary to some diseases. AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid level and uric acid/creatinine ratio with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, hypoxemia in exacerbation and development of cor pulmonale. METHODS: A total of 96 COPD patients who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine emergency department and Chest Diseases outpatient clinic and whose written consent was obtained were included in our study. Forty-three of these patients were in the period of exacerbation (Group 1), and 53 were in the stable period (Group 2). Complete blood count, blood biochemistry (including serum uric acid level) and arterial blood gas analysis were performed in our patients. In addition, spirometry and echocardiography findings were examined. RESULTS: Serum uric acid level of patients in the period of exacerbation group (Group 1) was 6.97 ± 1.34 and in stable COPD group (Group 2) was 4.30 ± 1.01 (P < .05). Uric acid/creatinine ratios in Group 1 was 8.00 ± 2.06; in Group 2, it was 5.52 ± 1.57 (P < .05). In patients with hypoxemia, serum uric acid level and uric acid/creatinine ratio were significantly higher than nonhypoxemic patients (P < .05). Serum uric acid level and serum uric acid/creatinine ratio of Group 1 were significantly higher than Group 2 (P < .001). Serum uric acid level and serum uric acid/creatinine ratio of patients who developed cor pulmonale were significantly higher than patients without cor pulmonale (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Serum uric acid level and uric acid/creatinine ratio were found to be higher in patients with exacerbation of COPD and those developing cor pulmonale. Consequently, it suggests that serum uric acid level and serum uric acid/creatinine ratio may be a stimulating laboratory test for the severity of COPD and the development of COPD induced cor pulmonale.

The Effect of Frequency of Sexual Intercourse on Symptoms in Women with Fibromyalgia.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia is known to affect sexual function, but the effect of frequency of sexual intercourse on fibromyalgia symptom severity is unclear. This study investigated how frequently women with fibromyalgia engaged in sexual activity affected how severe the disease was. Methods: The depression status of the participants was evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the mean monthly frequency of sexual intercourse in the last 3 months was noted. Pain levels of fibromyalgia patients were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), pain prevalence Widespread Pain Index (WPI), symptom level Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), and fibromyalgia exposure status with Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Results: A hundred women with fibromyalgia with a mean age of 37.11±6.2 years and 100 healthy female controls with a mean age of 36.53 ± 5.85 years participated in the study. Female patients with fibromyalgia had higher BDI and VAS scores and lower frequency of sexual intercourse (p<0.001). While no significant relationship was observed between the frequency of sexual intercourse and VAS, FIQ, SSS and WPI scores, it was found that BDI was lower in those with an average monthly frequency of 8 or more sexual intercourses (p=0.02). Conclusion: This study revealed that the frequency of sexual intercourse is low in female patients with FM and that depression is less common in women with FM who have a higher frequency of sexual intercourse.