Viagra can extend life and prevent heart attacks in men: study

Team Udayavani, Mar 24, 2021, 12:25 PM IST

A new study reveals that Viagra not only is a godsend drug for people struggling with erectile dysfunction but can also help men live longer.

Viagra which is taken orally, a form of PDE5 inhibitor inhibits the enzyme PDE5 or phosphodiesterase in the male genitalia resulting in an erection.

Viagra was earlier known to decrease blood pressure and wasn’t recommended to men with coronary artery disease.

Although a study in 2017 by the Karonlinska 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.

The most recent study conducted by Dr. Martin Holzmann analyzed 15,500 men with stable coronary artery disease who were being treated for impotence. Out of these, 16,500 men were on Viagra and the remaining 2000 were receiving alprostadil- another drug to treat erectile dysfunction but is 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 on alprostadil.

The results were based on the dose consumed by the individual.

Holzmann said that the results give a good reason to embark on further study and that potency problems are common in older men, their study shows that PDE5 inhibitors may protect against heart attack and prolong life.