#Viagra #Users #Risk #Alzheimers
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Last Wednesday (7), a new survey by the periodical Neurology suggested that users of Viagra, the famous erectile dysfunction drug, have an 18% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that the more prescriptions, the lower the risk.
For the public who received 21 to 50 pill prescriptions for erectile dysfunction, the risk was 44% lower. Researchers are cautious about saying whether medications are really responsible for this effect, as there is currently no evidence. However, the analysis reinforces the idea that the use of Viagra leads to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, already raised by other studies in the area.
Precisely to achieve this certainty, the group exposes the need for future clinical trials, focused on analyzing the effects of medications on Alzheimer’s disease, both in women and men (since in this case, the study was carried out only with men) .
In total, more than 260,000 men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction participated in the study. None had evidence of memory or thinking problems. They were followed over five years.
Why does Viagra reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s?
Viagra works through PDE5 inhibitors, which relax veins and arteries and allow blood to flow more freely. The scientists’ theory is that, by doing so, the medicine can also improve blood flow in the brain and thus help protect against the disease.
Viagra users have an 18% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and scientists want to understand why (Image: Vecstock/Freepik)Continues after advertising
But there are other theories: PDE5 inhibitors may also be related to increased levels of a compound called cGMP, which could help protect brain cells.
However, that may not be the case. The researchers themselves recognize, as a possibility, that men who are more physically and sexually active (originally at low risk of developing Alzheimer’s) are more likely to use Viagra, for example.
Could Viagra protect women from Alzheimer’s?
Do you know what happens if a woman takes Viagra? The medication may cause an increase in blood flow to the vagina and clitoris, as the PDE5 protein is also expressed in vaginal, clitoral, and labial smooth muscles.
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So, following this line of reasoning, if PDE5 inhibitors protect against Alzheimer’s disease, the drugs would be expected to work in both women and men. That’s why the authors behind the study want to study the effects of Viagra on these two audiences: to understand what this protection would be like.
Fonte: Neurology
