New studies suggest that long term painkiller use can lead to erectile dysfunction. Specifically, opioid prescriptions for back pain.
The men who take these pain killers for an extended period of time have the highest risk of erectile dysfunction later in life. The researchers found the link by analyzing the electronic health records of over 11,000 men enrolled in a specific health plan.
It is believed to be the first study of its kind using electronic health records.
The reasoning behind the study was that men with chronic pain can sometimes experience erectile dysfunction from depression, smoking, age, or low testosterone due to painkiller use.
The findings of this study are published in the May 15, 2013 online issue of the journal Spine.
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