Viagra, Viagra, Good For Your Heart…

Today in Medical Breakthroughs Only A Man Could Have Discovered news, a clinical study in Rome has revealed that in lower doses, the prescription drug Viagra may promote heart health. Best known as the original boner pill, Viagra has been the punchline of many a joke over the last twenty years, and I'm not above continuing that proud tradition. 

According to NBC News (link below), Viagra "can prevent heart muscle thickening and early-stage heart failure."

"Large clinical trials are now urgently needed to build on these encouraging findings,” said lead author Dr. Andrea M. Isidori, associate professor of endocrinology at Sapienza University of Rome.

Wait a second, hold the phone. Andrea? This was discovered by a woman? Oh Frabjous Day! Callooh! Callay!

Dosages used for heart ailments are lower than those used for erectile dysfunction, and patients in the study showed few side effects. “Surprisingly, in over 1600 treated subjects, no increased risk of visual disturbance, photosensitivity and ‘blue haze,’ was observed,” he told NBC News.

Back up, hold the phone again. Andrea's a dude? Looks like you ladies can't catch a break in this one. 

The active ingredient in Viagra is sildenafil citrate, which is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i). The inhibitor blocks the enzyme PDE5, which prevents relaxation of smooth muscle tissue.

The study found that the inhibitor prevented the heart from changing shape in patients suffering from left ventricular hypertrophy, a condition that causes thickening and enlargement of the heart muscle. The drug also improved functioning of the heart in patients with a variety of cardiac conditions, with no effect on blood pressure.

In fact, researchers found that the drug improved efficiency when the heart pumped blood into vessels, along with relaxation between beats. “Very few drugs used in cardiology can actually affect these parameters. For this reason their implications in the treatment and prevention of heart failure are huge.”

However, Isidori notes that because these studies were conducted exclusively on men, the next step should be a larger trial on women.

See ladies, you do have an in on this one after all. Looks like everyone wins! 

Via NBC News