Is There Any Association Between Uric Acid to High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and Erectile Dysfunction?

Abstract

Objective: Elevated uric acid (UA) and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with cardiovascular events and mortality. Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been considered an early marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the uric acid/ HDL ratio (UHR) as a nowel marker in patients with ED. Materials and Methods: The study included 147 patients with a mean age of 50 years (range 32-76 years). Retrospective analyses were performed on the patients who were admitted to urology outpatient clinics. The laboratory parameter results were retrieved from the hospital medical records, and the UHR value was calculated. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score. UHR was compared between groups, and its predictive value was evaluated using regression analysis and ROC curve analysis. Results: Age was found to be significantly different in all three groups (Groups 1-2, p=0.001; Groups 1-3, p=0.000; Groups 2-3, p=0.001). It was observed that the degree of ED increased with age. The values of UA and HDL were similar in all groups (p>0.05). In contrast, the UHR value was statistically significantly higher 0.15 (0.083-0.288, p =0.047) in the moderate-severe ED (Group 3). ROC curve analyses revealed that UHR predicted severe ED (IIEF 5-11) with 42.9% sensitivity and 87.3% specificity (AUC:0.66, CI 95% 0.538-0.781, p=0.019). Conclusion: UHR may serve as a severe ED indicator in patients admitted to the cardiology outpatient clinic since it has a significant association with a low IIEF score.