New study finds no link between pain relievers and enlarged prostate

Pain-relieving medications may have no effect on the size of a man's prostate, according to the results of a new study. The findings suggest that using drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen may not increase a man's chances of requiring a prescription to buy Flomax, as some other investigations have suggested.

For the study, researchers from the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center administered prostate testing to nearly 5,000 men who were free from lower urinary tract symptoms at the beginning of the investigation. The team also asked participants about any medications they took on a regular basis.

The results found no association between the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and increased rates of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The finding runs contrary to results of several recent investigations.

The team said that further investigations are needed to confirm their results. However, if the findings are validated, it could open up the use of valuable treatments to a greater number of men, who may have discontinued their use of pain relievers due to the fear of prostate risks.