Serum uric acid as a risk predictor for erectile dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: Serum uric acid (UA) is now beginning to be considered a risk predictor for cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the effect of hyperuricemia on the risk of developing other systemic vascular disorders, especially erectile dysfunction (ED). AIM: To evaluate whether serum UA is a predicting factor for ED while adjusting for other common risk factors. METHODS: Two hundred fifty-one patients aged 45.2 ± 10.1 years with newly diagnosed and documented ED and 252 age-matched participants without ED (aged 45.1 ± 8.4 years) were enrolled in this case-control study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to assess the effect of serum UA on ED; odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Adjustments were made for potential confounding factors, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, serum triglyceride, and smoking. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Serum UA concentration and the distribution of potential ED risk factors (age, smoking, lipid profile, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus) were evaluated. Serum UA levels were organized into tertiles. The five-item International Index of Erectile Function was used to evaluate the presence and the severity of ED. RESULTS: The mean serum UA levels in ED-positive and ED-negative groups were 6.12 ± 1.55 mg/dL and 4.97 ± 1.09 mg/dL, respectively (P < 0.001). On analysis of unadjusted variables, statistically significant differences were found for all variables, including serum UA, between ED-positive and ED-negative groups. After adjustment for major risk factors, a significant trend of increasing risk was found for serum UA concentration (OR 5.95, 95% CI 2.96-11.97; P < 0.001, comparing the highest with the lowest tertile). An increase of 1 mg/dL in serum UA level was associated with an approximately twofold increase in risk of ED (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.63-2.64). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that serum UA can be considered a risk predictor for ED. Furthermore, hyperuricemia can be regarded as an independent risk factor in addition to the established ones.