From the Research
Inflammation and Sexual Anhedonia in Men
- Inflammation may contribute to the development of sexual anhedonia (lack of pleasure from sex) in men, as suggested by studies on the relationship between inflammation and reward sensitivity 1, 2.
- A systematic review found that sexual function is impaired in a high proportion of patients with rheumatic diseases, which are characterized by chronic inflammation 3.
- The review also found that clinically relevant abnormalities in reproductive hormones were mainly identified in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, and that semen quality can be impaired in patients with certain rheumatic diseases 3.
- A study on inflammation as a pathophysiologic pathway to anhedonia found that exogenous administration of inflammatory stimuli can affect neurotransmitters and neurocircuits involved in reward processing, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex 2.
- Another study identified sex-specific associations between immune-inflammatory markers, lipoprotein profiles, and anhedonia in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression, and found that the combination of certain immune-inflammatory markers may be a possible biomarker for identifying anhedonia in male patients 4.
Mechanisms and Associations
- Inflammation may interfere with sexual function and reproduction through direct and indirect pathways, including neural, endocrine, vascular, and social/behavioral mechanisms 5, 3.
- The relationship between inflammation and anhedonia may be mediated by the effects of inflammation on neurotransmitters and neurocircuits involved in reward processing 1, 2.
- Sex differences in the relationship between inflammation and reward sensitivity may provide insight into the sex gaps in depression and anhedonia 1.
- The combination of immune-inflammatory markers and lipoprotein profiles may be a useful biomarker for identifying anhedonia in male patients with unipolar and bipolar depression 4.