How Viagra could be used to treat heart attacks and strokes

Italian scientists said that the drug, whose key ingredient relaxes blood vessels and prevents damage to heart cells, could improve men’s health.

17:56 20 October 2014

Italian scientists have said that Viagra could halt heart attacks and should be routinely prescribed.

 

They added that men with heart failure who happened to be taking the anti-impotence pill had far more efficient hearts than other patients.  

 

The study had looked into 24 researches involving 1,622 men and was published in the journal of BMC Medicine. 

 

Andrea Isidori, the study’s lead researcher, called for the drug, which relaxes blood vessels and prevents damage to heart cells, to be tested on women with heart disease. He added that their findings suggest that the pill can be prescribed for heart conditions. 

 

He added: ‘We found that the main ingredient in Viagra can be used as an effective, safe treatment. Large clinical trials are now urgently needed to build on these encouraging findings.’

 

Currently, there are about 180,000 men that are prescribed Viagra and other anti-impotence pills. Pfizer’s Viagra pills sell for £21.27 while copycat drugs are now just £1.45 for every four tablets.