The Role of the “Anti-Inflammatory” Couple for the Management of Hyperuricemia With Deposition

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionGout is the most prevalent inflammatory crystal arthropathy worldwide and is a chronic disease requiring strict, lifelong adherence to drug therapy and healthy lifestyles. Gout has a heavy burden on the patient's sexual health, owing to the associated inflammatory status, long-term complications, and chronic pain; however, the effects of gout also extend to the partner's sexual health.AimsWe aimed to investigate how the presence of a partner could influence the complex interaction between risk factors for sexual dysfunctions in gout in order to define novel strategies to improve sexual health and disease management.MethodsClinical and experimental data on the role of the couple in chronic diseases, as well as on the association between gout and sexual health, were searched through Pubmed.Main outcome measuresEvidence from studies describing how the presence of a couple and leveraging sexual health can improve management and clinical outcomes for chronic diseases.ResultsTreatment adherence can improve the sexual health of gout patients and their partners; likewise, by leveraging sexual health, it would be possible to promote better health-seeking behaviors, ultimately improving gout management.Clinical implicationsPromoting awareness of the sexual health relevance of gout can potentially be a pivotal strategy to improve disease management and prevent the progression of sexual dysfunctions from subclinical to overt forms.Strengths and limitationsIdentifying a bidirectional association between sexual health and disease management paves the way for improved disease control and can potentially prevent the development of sexual dysfunctions in couples affected by gout. However, the relevance of the couple has not been adequately addressed in gout management, and most evidence comes from other chronic diseases.ConclusionImproving gout management results in better sexual health, and vice-versa promoting better sexual health can improve disease control for gout. The presence of a partner improves the behavioral well-being of gout patients, with beneficial effects on both sexual health and gout management.