2024-02-23 07:34:40
Viagra can be a useful medication for men with erectile dysfunction, helping them maintain their sexual lives as they age. New research suggests that the little blue pill may also be beneficial for older people’s brains.
The results are based on a large-scale study conducted on regarding 270,000 middle-aged men in Britain, and published by the newspaper “Washington Post“.
Researchers at University College London used electronic medical records to track the health of the men, all of whom were 40 or older and had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction between 2000 and 2017.
Each man’s health status and prescriptions were tracked for at least a year, and the average follow-up time was 5.1 years.
During the study, 1,119 men were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers noticed a distinct pattern: Men who were prescribed Viagra or a similar drug were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, compared to men who did not take the drug.
The researchers also found a greater difference among men who used Viagra more often. Among the highest users, based on total prescriptions, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was 44% lower.
“I’m excited by the results but I’m even more excited because I feel this might lead to more high-quality studies in a disease area that needs more work,” said Ruth Brower, lecturer at University College London’s School of Pharmacy and lead researcher on the study.
There is a limit to how much can be inferred from study results that show an association between a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Viagra use, but they do not prove cause and effect. For example, Viagra use may be a sign of better overall health, and that men who have more sex are also more physically active. Brauer confirmed that physical activity is independently associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
“There is an idea that if we can help improve blood flow in the brain, perhaps we can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sevil Yasar, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University.
The latest study is far from conclusive, said Stanton Honig, a professor of urology at Yale University School of Medicine. He said “no conclusions can be drawn” from the study because “there are many other factors” at play besides whether a man takes Viagra pills to treat erectile dysfunction.
Rebecca Edelmeyer, an official at the Alzheimer’s Association, said in an email to the newspaper that it is still unclear whether Viagra and similar medications have an effect on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. “Conducting more research and clinical trials is a necessary step,” she said.
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