Viagra Could Extend Life And Prevent Heart Attacks In Men, Claims Study

In case you’ve heard about Viagra, you know the drug is more than a godsend for people struggling with erectile dysfunction. However, now a study has revealed that this drug could also help men live longer.

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Viagra is a form of PDE5 inhibitor which is taken orally that inhibits the enzyme PDE5 or phosphodiesterase5 in the male genitalia resulting in an erection. The drug was earlier known to decrease blood pressure and wasn’t recommended to men with coronary artery disease.?

However, a study in 2017 by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden revealed that men who have had heart attacks in the past could easily tolerate PDE5 inhibitors with hints that it prolonged life expectancy.?

Viagra side-effects

The most recent study (published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology) is an extension of this, conducted by Dr Martin Holzmann from the institute. Researchers analysed 18,500 men with stable coronary artery disease who were being treated for impotence. Out of these, 16,500 were on Viagra and 2,000 were receiving alprostadil -- another drug to treat erectile dysfunction but administered through a syringe.?

The analysis showed that men who regularly consumed Viagra lived longer with a lower risk of heart attack, heart failure, balloon dilation and bypass surgery compared to those who were put on alprostadil. These results were based on the dose the individual consumed -- more frequent disease equalled lower risk.

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Holzmann said in a statement, “This suggests that there's a causal relationship, but a registry study can't answer that question. It is possible that those who received PDE5 inhibitors were healthier than those on alprostadil and therefore had a lower risk. To ascertain whether it is the drug that reduces the risk, we would need to randomly assign patients to two groups, one that takes PDE5 and one that doesn't.”

He added, “The results we have now give us very good reason to embark on such a study. Potency problems are common in older men and now our study also shows that PDE5 inhibitors may protect against heart attack and prolong life.”