A major study has suggested a link between taking Viagra (also known under its generic name of sildenafil) and a significant reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Undertaken by the Cleveland Clinic, researchers looked at the health insurance claims of over 7million people. It found that people who took Viagra were almost 70% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s over the next six years of follow-up, compared to those who didn’t take it. The results were published in Nature Ageing.
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That’s a massive and unexpected potential benefit to the drug. However, before you all start popping the pills – normally used to help treat erectile dysfunction – the researchers say they need to do more work to prove that it’s all down to the Viagra. It’s possible those people taking the drug are doing something else that has led to the reduction in Alzheimer’s.
The study’s senior author, Feixiong Cheng, said, “Notably, we found that sildenafil use reduced the likelihood of Alzheimer’s in individuals with coronary artery disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, all of which are comorbidities significantly associated with risk of the disease, as well as in those without.”
Alzheimer’s is caused by abnormal protein deposits building up in the brains of those affected, causing dementia. The researchers found that taking larger doses of sildenafil (larger than normally taken) boosted brain cell growth and reduced protein accumulation in lab studies of human tissue.
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Cheng went on to say that the clinic would now be conducting a trial to fully confirm whether sildenafil truly does reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s.
“Because our findings only establish an association between sildenafil use and reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, we are now planning a mechanistic trial and a phase II randomized clinical trial to test causality and confirm sildenafil’s clinical benefits for Alzheimer’s patients.”
Dr. Jack Auty, lecturer in the Medical Sciences at the University of Tasmania, told the BBC he gave a cautious welcome to the news: “In the field of Alzheimer’s disease research, we have been excited by many drugs over the years, only to have our hopes dashed in clinical trials. I will be following this research group and the research around sildenafil closely.”
Joshooeerr
Great. Retirement homes will now be full of men with erections who can’t remember why they have them.
Mostlikelytobedownvoted
Why wouldn’t they remember? The article clearly states, the side effect is ” that people who took Viagra were almost 70% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s…” Take a viagra Joshoooerr…. me thinks you may need to and nit just to keep it up.
blazer68
Why be an asshat.. funny you are not.
deksman2
Contrary to popular belief, Viagra doesn’t cause spontaneous erections, or erections that occur without any sexual stimulation.
Like anything else, you need to be sexually stimulated to get erect… and viagra is a good option to help in that department.
Openminded
Studies also indicate that wearing pants can lead to E.D. and the need to take Viagra. These studies showed that 99.9% of people taking Viagra also wear pants.
CliffHanger007
Bonus: The erections will keep senior men from accidentally rolling out of bed.