This is a classic example of being caught between a rock and a hard place. You're getting older, your joints are creaky and you're in some pain. So, like many of us, you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (commonly called NSAIDs). But then you develop another problem: erectile dysfunction.
Researchers from Kaiser Permanente looked at the connection between use of NSAIDs and erectile dysfunction and found that men who take these drugs three times a day for more than three months are more than twice as likely to have erectile problems as men who don't take them. They studied nearly 90,000 men aged 45 to 69 for a study published online in the Journal of Urology.
Erectile dysfunction is pretty common at midlife; the NIH estimates that between 15 and 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience it on a long-term basis. The Kaiser researchers caution that no one should stop taking medication prescribed by their doctor because of this study – particularly because the connection between NSAID use and erectile dysfunction is unclear.
Instead, talk to your doctor if you think medication is causing problems for you. For more about NSAIDs and other pain relievers, click here.
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