Ibuprofen affects testicular function in men, according to a new randomized controlled clinical trial conducted by Copenhagen University Hospital. It is a follow-up to another new study conducted by a French-Danish team, which collected important data on the side effects on health of taking popular OTC pain relievers during pregnancy – aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen. Its authors are the director of the French Institute for Environmental and Occupational Medicine Research, Dr. Bernard Jegu, and Dr. David Christensen from the Department of Neurology at Copenhagen University Hospital. The results of the study show that all three medications taken during pregnancy affect the testicles of future boys. All three are considered by the medical community to be anti-androgenic – affecting the release of male sex hormones. In a paper published this Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Christensen notes that these medications are even associated with an increased risk of birth defects in boys. In particular, the small randomized study concluded that the use of ibuprofen in men of reproductive age leads to the development of hormonal disorders. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are popular medications among active athletes to combat the usual discomfort associated with exercise. The usual dose in this case is two doses of 600 mg of ibuprofen. This is also the amount taken by 14 of a total of 31 men aged 18 to 35 included in the trial. The rest are on placebo in the control group. 14 days after taking ibuprofen, a hormonal imbalance was detected, associated with a change in the levels of the luteinizing hormone synthesized by the pituitary gland, which stimulates the testicles to release testosterone. Doctors found that with an increase in the concentration of ibuprofen in the blood, the response of the testicles to the luteinizing hormone is also disturbed – the synthesis of testosterone decreases, regardless of the increasing values ​​of the pituitary. This is indicative of dysfunction of the male reproductive organs. Such hormonal imbalance leads to hypogonadism, associated with male infertility, depressive states and increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. According to the researchers, the effect of taking ibuprofen is reversible when it is taken for a short period. However, it is not yet clear whether the effects can be neutralized after longer intake. After the controlled randomized clinical trial, the team conducted a laboratory experiment with endocrine cells from testicles obtained from donor organs, which confirmed the harm of the medication on them. The conclusions drawn by the scientific team is that ibuprofen in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro has a direct effect on the testes and testosterone synthesis. The research has its high utility value,as sterility is a widespread problem in developed countries. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, one in four couples in these countries face reproductive difficulties despite trying to achieve pregnancy over a 5-year period. More than 45 million couples, equating to 15% of couples globally, suffered from infertility in 2010, with 30% of infertility cases due entirely to male factors and 50% of cases related to them. The number of sperm in the sperm of the Western man (men from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand) is constantly falling. 52% is the recorded drop in concentration and 59% in the total number of sperm over a period of 40 years, according to the results of a study completed in 2011, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update. NEWS_MORE_BOX In general, for most drugs there is no data on their effect on the male reproductive system before they are put on the market. There are partial ones for opioids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, some immunomodulators and even antacid drugs, but their side effects on the male genital organs and testosterone synthesis are rarely taken into account by prescribers. However, ibuprofen is one of the most widely used medications and the results of the study are of extreme importance, especially for men who have already been diagnosed with low fertility. Men who are planning to have a child should also be careful with the intake of paracetamol and cimetidine. Specialists in reproductive medicine generally recommend that the man, not only the woman, should avoid medication when planning a baby. Of course, these medications help many people, but one should not forget that they are a pharmaceutical product and not a harmless panacea. According to the authors, of the three pain relievers, ibuprofen has the broadest endocrine-disrupting properties identified so far in men.some immunomodulators and even antacid drugs, but their side effect on the male genital organs and testosterone synthesis is rarely taken into account by the prescribers of the respective treatment. However, ibuprofen is one of the most widely used medications and the results of the study are of extreme importance, especially for men who have already been diagnosed with low fertility. Men who are planning to have a child should also be careful with the intake of paracetamol and cimetidine. Specialists in reproductive medicine generally recommend that the man, not only the woman, should avoid medication when planning a baby. Of course, these medications help many people, but one should not forget that they are a pharmaceutical product and not a harmless panacea. According to the authors, of the three pain relievers, ibuprofen has the broadest endocrine-disrupting properties identified so far in men.some immunomodulators and even antacid drugs, but their side effect on the male genital organs and testosterone synthesis is rarely taken into account by the prescribers of the respective treatment. However, ibuprofen is one of the most widely used medications and the results of the study are of extreme importance, especially for men who have already been diagnosed with low fertility. Men who are planning to have a child should also be careful with the intake of paracetamol and cimetidine. Specialists in reproductive medicine generally recommend that the man, not only the woman, should avoid medication when planning a baby. Of course, these medications help many people, but one should not forget that they are a pharmaceutical product and not a harmless panacea. According to the authors, of the three pain relievers, ibuprofen has the broadest endocrine-disrupting properties identified so far in men.