Researchers at Finland's University of Tampere claim that painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen, widely used by men for arthritis, may increase the risk of impotence.
A study of 1,126 men aged 50 to 70 showed that those taking painkillers were twice as likely to suffer erectile dysfunction as non-users.
Sexual difficulties are common among men with arthritis but doctors have believed this is an effect of the disease rather than the pain relief. The researchers have been unable to give an explanation for their findings.
