Painkillers May Increase the Risk of Erectile Dysfunction
It does not really matter for what reason you are taking painkillers, but anything classified under the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could increased the chances of erectile dysfunction among elderly and middle-aged men, as per a new report.
NSAIDs incorporate a large variety of drugs, like naproxen or ibuprofen.
In the process of determining if a specific drug could cause erectile dysfunction, it is not easy to segregate the sole effects the drug has among those who take the medication for a specific disease, according to D. R. Shiri mentioned along with colleagues in a journal called Journal of Urology.
Several reports in the past have been able to link arthritis along with erectile dysfunction. But the role of NSAIDs use for the treatment of arthritis in causing erectile dysfunction is still not clear.
Shiri’s team belonging to the University of Tampere located in Finland mentioned that according to their best knowledge, there has not been any previous study that took erectile dysfunction into consideration in relation to the use of NSAIDs. This indicates that the previous studies recorded the evidence of erectile dysfunction among patients was seen before the use of painkillers or NSAIDs.
Shiri along with the team did a study that involved 1126 male participants with their ages ranging from 50 years to 70 years. These men were asked to fill a questionnaire that pertained to erectile functioning and medication usage when they weren’t affected by erectile dysfunction in 1994. After a time span of five years, the questionnaire was administered again to the same participants.
The investigators of the study were able to find that the rate of erectile dysfunction among individuals who were using NSAIDs was 93 out of every 1000 people. On the other hand, nonusers showed a rate of 35 out of 1000 individuals.
The study was able to show that people who consumed painkillers, the ones characterized to be nonstreoidal anti-inflammatory drugs, had a higher chance of developing erectile dysfunction later in their lives. As the study incorporated participants falling in the age group of 50 to 70 years, the role of these painkillers on the younger population is not known.
Arthritis was the most common reason why elderly and middle-aged men resorted to painkillers or NSAIDs. The study also showed that men having arthritis had an erectile dysfunction rate ranging from 52 to 97 cases in every 1000 individuals.
The study results indicated that the cause of NSAIDs usage does not really make a difference. Regardless, the risk of acquiring erectile dysfunction is doubled by the use of NSAIDS as compared to those who do not take the medication.
Having arthritis without being administered NSAIDs only increased the risk of having erection difficult or erectile dysfunction by 30 percent, according to the researchers. Therefore, they concluded by saying that the painkillers or NSAIDs are the main culprit behind erectile dysfunction in middle-aged several men. NSAIDs are to blame when there is a link found between erectile dysfunction and arthritis.
