Viagra-like erectile dysfunction drug Cialis may tackle heart disease too, scientists say
It raises potency in bed, but Cialis could lower the risk of fatal heart attacks too
A DRUG used to treat erectile dysfunction could tackle heart disease too, scientists say.
Cialis, similar to Viagra, can raise a man's potency in bed - but it may lower the risks of suffering a fatal heart attack, it's claimed.
Researchers at Manchester University have found that sheep who suffered from heart failure and were given the drug showed vast improvements.
The tests could lead to further experiments that may prove a long-held suspicion in science that impotence drugs have heart-healthy benefits.
Prof Andrew Trafford, who led the research, told that although the drug - whose scientific name is Tadalafil - appeared to work, the reason why is not yet clear.
He said: "The little clinical data we had suggested that in some patients with this particular kind of heart failure the drugs were very effective at alleviating symptoms, but the mechanism was unknown."
UNEXPECTED RESULTS
Viagra was initially developed to treat heart disease - but was re-purposed when trials showed unexpected results among blokes.
Cialis is not available over-the-counter and takes longer to work than Viagra - but its benefits last longer.
Metin Avkiran, of the British Heart Foundation, told : “We need safe and effective new treatments for heart failure, which is a cruel and debilitating condition that affects almost a million people in the UK.
“The evidence from this study - that a Viagra-like drug could reverse heart failure - should encourage further research in humans to determine if such drugs may help to save and improve lives.”
But Prof Trafford warned that patients should never self-medicate without seeing a doctor.
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He said the dosage would be equivalent to that used in treating erectile dysfunction.
But he stressed that patients would not necessarily be in a permanent state of arousal.
Prof Trafford said: “My understanding is these don’t directly cause you to have an erection - but rather make you more responsive to the appropriate stimuli."
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