Data from the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Health Status among Men was used in arriving at these conclusions. This is a large cohort study being conducted in men ages 40 to 79 years from 1990 to present.

Jennifer St. Sauver, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and study author, said in a press release that the long duration of the study meant researchers could look at associations between statin use, how long statins were used and multiple aspects of urologic function.

In the first sub-study, the researchers examined the link between statin use and the risk of prostate cancer. Some 2,447 men were followed for over 15 years and their statin medications were monitored. The researchers report that just 6 percent of statin users went on to develop prostate cancer, while 11 percent of non-statin users developed the condition. The latter were three times more likely to develop the cancer.

In the second sub-set, some 1,480 men from the Olmsted County cohort were assessed to see if statin use reduced the risk of developing erectile dysfunction since high cholesterol is a known risk factor for this condition.

Men who were on statin medications for nine years or more were 64 percent less likely to develop ED, while men who took these drugs for three years or less did not reduce their risk of developing the condition.

The researchers stressed that the findings were preliminary and further studies were needed to examine if statins could be prescribed to maintain urological health in men. The findings of the studies are being presented at the American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in Chicago.

Statins are among the best-selling drugs worldwide and are prescribed on a large scale to lower cholesterol in at risk individuals. Many studies have shown that these drugs reduce the unwanted complication of heart disease including heart attacks and strokes.