Regular NSAID Use Is Linked to an Increased Risk of ED

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been linked, in the past, with inflammation. This led Californian researchers to see whether the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could be shown to reduce the occurrence of ED. Their findings are reported in the Journal of Urology.

Data came from the Kaiser Permanente managed care plans. A diverse population of 81,000 men aged 45 to 69 were asked about NSAID use and any symptoms of ED. Almost half (47.4%) of them were designated NSAID users – i.e. taking an NSAID three times a day for more than three months.

 After correcting for age, race, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and body mass index, the analysis showed that the rate of erectile dysfunction was 35.2% in the men who regularly took NSAIDs and 24% in those who did not. This worked out to a 1.38 times greater likelihood of ED in NSAID users, what the researchers turned a modest increase. Both drug use and erectile dysfunction were strongly linked to age, but the Association with NSAID use was consistent across all age groups.

The researchers went into the study thinking they would find an opposite result: that NSAIDs would have a protective effect because they have been shown to protect against heart disease, which is also linked to ED. Obviously further work is required to understand the underlying penile changes that might be caused with regular NSAID use.  However, the researchers emphasize that men shouldn't stop taking them based on this study, which is, after all, merely demonstration of an ‘association’.