Lay off the ibuprofen? Painkiller may lower male testosterone

testosterone

In recent decades, prompted by concerns that men’s sperm quality is declining, researchers have looked at things they suspect of potentially disrupting the body’s endocrine system.

In a study published…in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that a concentrated dose of the over-the-counter painkiller taken by young, healthy men appears to be linked to a testicular condition that typically only appears at middle age and has been linked to infertility.

The experiment involved 31 men under 35 in Denmark and France who were split into two groups, with the first taking 1,200 milligrams of ibuprofen each day for six weeks and the other a placebo. While 1,200 milligrams of ibuprofen is considered on the high side for general aches, pains and fever, it’s not unusual for doctors to prescribe twice that much for athletes.

In two weeks, the concentration of testosterone hormone dropped as ibuprofen concentrations grew in the blood of those taking ibuprofen — resulting in the men having a condition known as hypogonadism.

“I do not think the message should be to stop taking ibuprofen. Rather this is an important but small study. Larger studies with more follow up are needed to understand the implications of ibuprofen use,” [Michael Eisenberg] said.

Read full, original post: Ibuprofen appears to mess with male hormones. Should you be worried?

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