Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Clinical and genetic determinants of worse sexual experience in male patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a multimodal study
Authors' conclusion
Worse sexual experience was associated with increased disease activity, reduced mobility, lower health index, poor sleep quality and psychological status. Genetic-level evidence indicated no direct causal relationship between r-axSpA and ED.
Study context
- Population
- Male patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) and healthy people; sexual experience assessed with the Sexual Experience Questionnaire
- Participants
- 113 vs 73
- Exposure
- Male patients with r-axSpA vs healthy controls
- r-axSpAn = 113
- Healthy controlsn = 73reference
- Outcome
- Total sexual experience score (Sexual Experience Questionnaire)
Methodological detailslinear regression, inverse variance weighted method
- Linear regression
- Inverse variance weighted method
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
r-axSpA
41.81
± 8.71
Healthy controls
50.23
± 8.82
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal effect of r-axSpA on risk of ED (two-sample Mendelian randomisation, inverse variance weighted)No causal effect | 0.973 (0.824–1.149) | P = 0.749 | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Determinants of sexual experience (linear regression adjusted for age, disease duration and BMI)
- Significant determinants: disease activity (BASDAI), physical function (BASFI), mobility (BASMI, chest expansion, finger-floor distance), ASAS Health Index, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and psychological status (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), HADS-Anxiety, HADS-Depression)
Causal effect of r-axSpA on risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) (two-sample Mendelian randomisation, inverse variance weighted)
- Sensitivity analyses supported the result, with no evidence of directional pleiotropy
Original publication
Clinical and genetic determinants of worse sexual experience in male patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a multimodal study. RMD Open. Published 25 June 2025. doi:10.
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