Gentlemen, beware of excess painkillers, they can reduce your fertility! Consumed regularly for several weeks, this type of drug affects testosterone, which plays a fundamental role in the formation of sperm. It is therefore male fertility that pays the costs of an excess of analgesics.
The results of the first phase of a French study, conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), have been published by the journal Human Reproduction. This research only confirms studies already carried out in animals. The Inserm team is however the first to have worked on human testicular tissue.
A disruption in hormone production
In this study, researchers exposed testicular explants of adult men to different doses of paracetamol, aspirin, or indomethacin for at least 24 hours. “At concentrations equivalent to those found in plasma when these molecules are taken, each of them disrupts the production of steroid hormones and other factors necessary for masculinization and fertility”, explains the program manager. research, Bernard Jégou, on the Inserm website.
The researchers are however reassuring: no reason to worry in the event of occasional intake of the drug, while respecting the maximum authorized doses. However, a certain category of people, such as athletes, can have heavy and chronic use of painkillers. “Some high-level athletes use and abuse it, in particular for preventive purposes. In addition to the potential risks on fertility or on health in general, these products which cause a drop in testosterone production could therefore be counterproductive in terms of performance “, specifies Bernard Jégou.
