Researchers Says Paracetamol Causes Infertility; Reasons

Experts have warned that a common painkiller could
impair a man’s fertility.
New research suggests that paracetamol, which is
also known as acetaminophen and sold under the
brand name Tylenol in the United States (U.S.) and
Panadol in the United Kingdom (U.K.), has been
linked to infertility.
The findings are published online in Human
Reproduction but was first reported by DailyMailUK
Online.
Couples, where the male partner had high levels of
the drug in his urine took longer to conceive,
according to scientists at the National Institutes of
Health
That was compared to men who had lower levels of
the compound in their system.
Paracetamol is a non-prescription drug widely used
as a pain reliever and to reduce fever.
It is also one of the compounds produced when the
body breaks down aniline, a chemical used to make
rubber, pesticides, and coloring agents used in food,
cosmetics and clothing.
Dr. Melissa Smarr, the study’s first author, from
United States (NIH’s) Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, said: “At this point, our findings need
to be corroborated by future research, and there is
no cause for alarm.’
Smarr explained that the high levels of paracetamol
in the urine of certain men, who participated in the
study, were unlikely to result from taking the
painkillers alone.
The findings, she said, are more consistent with those
seen from environmental exposure, either to aniline
or paracetamol, or a combination of the two.
But, she said, the findings could have implications for
the amount of paracetamol exposure that is deemed
acceptable.
Researchers led by Dr Smarr analyzed data from the
Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the
Environment (LIFE) study, established to examine
how lifestyle and exposure to environmental
chemicals may affect fertility.
In this article:
Dr. Melissa Smarr
National Institutes of Health