Common drugs used to control high blood pressure can reduce male fertility, a study found.
Beta blockers were found to reduce the chance of having a baby by 11 per cent.
Another common drug – ACE Inhibitors – reduced the chance by 9 per cent.
Further research found beta blockers reduced semen volume, semen concentration and mobility.
The drugs work by decreasing the activity of the heart by blocking the action of hormones like adrenaline.
Around one in three adults – 16 million – have high blood pressure in the UK.
Medications used to control high blood pressure can reduce male fertility, scientists found
Researchers at Stanford University looked at health data from around 800,000 men on blood pressure drugs.
Using data from US insurance companies, they looked at the incidence of infertility in the year before they were on the drugs and the year after between 2001 and 2009.
Infertility was defined as not having a baby despite regular unprotected sex for one year.
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In a further study, researchers analysed the quality of sperm from men on blood pressure drugs at sperm at a fertility clinic .
The study found beta blockers reduced semen volume, semen concentration and mobility.
Dr Mark Eisenberg, a urologist at Stanford University, presented the results at the annual congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine at Salt Lake City, Utah.
Data was taken from 347,634 men taking ACE Inhibitors, 261,849 men on beta blockers and 190,903 on calcium channel blockers.
He said that for a third class of blood pressure drugs, calcium channel blockers, there was no impact on fertility.
To confirm the associations, the team also looked at the semen of men on infertility clinic patients.
In conclusion the authors write; ‘Men taking beta blockers or ACE inhibitors appear to have a higher risk of infertility which is not seen in men taking calcium channel blockers.’
The study found beta blockers reduced semen volume, semen concentration and mobility
Dr Allan Pacey, professor of Andrology at Sheffield University who was not connected with the research said: ‘I think the important thing to say is that if you need to take hypertension drugs, you need to take them for reasons of life saving treatment.
‘I don’t want people to start coming off hypertension drugs because they are worried about their fertility.
‘However, the burden of these kinds of drugs will increase as the average age of paternity increases and its going up year on year. It reinforces the message you should try to have babies sooner.’
Around 16 per cent of men aged between 25 and 44 in the UK have high blood pressure, 34 per cent of men aged 45-54 and 47 per cent of men aged 55-64.
Beta blockers include the drugs atenolol, bisoporlol, carvedilol, metoprolol, nebivolol and propranolol.
The drugs are known to have side effects including loss of libido, insomnia and impotence.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels.
Common examples are enalapril, lisinopril, perindopril and ramipril.
Douglas Carrell, President of the Society for male Reproduction and Urology said: ‘When doing an infertility work up, it is important to consider the medications a patient takes and their possible effects. Medications that contribute to a patient’s overall health and well-being may be harmful to his sperm.’
Professor Jeremy Pearson, Assistant Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘This study shows a small increase in the rates of reduced fertility in people taking beta blockers or ACE inhibitors over a year.
‘However, previous studies have shown that men aged 35 or over are likely to have up to a 50 per cent lower fertility rate than men aged 25.
‘So a few per cent further reduction in those taking beta blockers or ACE inhibitors, while statistically significant, is unlikely to be a major overall factor determining male fertility.
‘For men with high blood pressure in this age range, the reduced heart attack and stroke risk from their medication is likely to far outweigh any detriment to their fertility.’