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Viagra For Your Heart?

BACKGROUND: Sildenafil citrate, more commonly known as Viagra, is widely known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. What many may not realize is the drug was not originally intended for sexual purposes, but rather for cardiovascular use. The help the drug provides for ED was merely a side effect recognized in a study. Viagra was previously believed to have no effect on the heart. However, in a recent study, the drug was tested on mice, and researchers found it deterred the short-term effects of hormonal stress on the heart. The mice whose hearts were larger due to stress remained a normal size when Viagra was used. The drug was also seen to be helpful in stopping and reversing the long-standing cardiac effects of high blood pressure. Furthermore, a study has been conducted on humans, and the outcome appears optimistic for the future of heart health.

PROMISING RESULTS: David Kass, M.D., and his team from Johns Hopkins observed the effects of Viagra in the heart via 35 study participants with no past or signs of heart disease. The patients were given two injections over a three-hour period of dobutamine -- a drug that increases heart rate and the strength with which the heart pumps. After the first injection, patients took either a dose of Viagra or a placebo. Those who took Viagra saw a slowdown of 50 percent from the increased heart rate induced by the dobutamine.

Dr. Kass says what researchers have recently discovered "is that the enzyme that Viagra and drugs like Viagra block acts kind of like a brake for the heart." He described the condition further saying if this "brake" is applied under normal conditions, nothing takes place, but if applied when stress is present, "you really can blunt stress response in the heart." Dr. Kass also noted that Viagra taken for cardiovascular purposes does not cause sexual stimulation, because that side effect requires the right environment.

FUTURE USE: Dr. Kass says if all goes well in the clinical trials, the drug could be used for cardiovascular treatment in about three to four years. This type of use for Viagra could have major positive implications for those who have heart disease.

Source:http://www.wftv.com