How VIAGRA could cure heart failure: The little blue pill ‘restores the organ’s ability to respond to adrenaline’ and reversed the deadly condition in a trial on sheep
- Anti-impotence drug blocked enzyme which regulates adrenaline response
- It also restored heart’s ability to force blood around body when working harder
- Professors at University of Manchester, which conducted study, said it showed promise treatment could work in humans
The anti-impotence drug Viagra could be used to cure heart failure, according to new research.
The little blue pill, used to treat erectile dysfunction, was found to slow and even reverse the progression of the condition in sheep by researchers at the University of Manchester.
The British Heart Foundation-funded study is a breakthrough in the hunt to cure the disease which kills 66,000 Britons each year.
Anti-impotence drug Viagra could be used to cure heart failure by restoring the organ’s ability to respond to adrenaline
Leading professor Andrew Trafford said it was ‘entirely possible’ the treatment will work on humans.
He said: ‘This discovery is an important advance in a devastating condition which causes misery for thousands of people across the UK and beyond.
‘We do have limited evidence from human trials and epidemiological studies that show Tadalafil can be effective in treating heart failure.
‘This study provides further confirmation, adds mechanistic details and demonstrates that Tadalafil could now be a possible therapy for heart failure.
‘It’s entirely possible that some patients taking it for erectile dysfunction have also unwittingly enjoyed a protective effect on their heart.’
Almost one million Britons are living with heart failure, which occurs when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
It causes a build-up of fluid that backs up into the lungs, resulting in breathlessness as well fluid retention, resulting in swelling of different parts of the body.
But in the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, Viagra was shown to reduce and even reverse the symptoms.
Sheep were used as the physiology of their hearts are similar to that of humans, researchers said.
In the study, the animals were fitted with pace makers to induce the symptoms of heart failure.
The blue pill was found to slow and even reverse the disease in sheep in a breakthrough study at the University of Manchester
When the symptoms started worsening, the sheep were administered with a dose of the drug similar to that given to men for erectile dysfunction.
Within a short period of time, the progression of the systems was brought to a halt.
The biological cause of breathlessness in heart failure- the inability of the heart to respond to adrenaline – was almost completely reversed.
Tadalafil, a brand of Viagra, blocks an enzyme called Phosphodiesterase 5 which regulates how the body responds to hormones like adrenaline.
How does Viagra work for erectile dysfunction?
Viagra increases blood flow to the penis to help men get an erection.
It does this by relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump them around your body.
It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes for the drug to work for erectile dysfunction.
You can take it up to four hours before you want to have sex.
Taking Viagra alone will not cause an erection, you need to be aroused for it to work.
Viagra commonly comes in a small blue pill, but occasionally comes as a liquid you can drink.
The research team found the drug altered a series of chemical reactions in the body and restored the heart’s ability to respond to adrenaline.
The treatment also boosted the heart’s ability to force blood around the body when working harder.
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said the use of Viagra had ‘come full cycle’ as it was originally intended to cure heart ptoblems.
He added: ‘We seem to have gone full-circle, with findings from recent studies suggesting that they may be effective in the treatment of some forms of heart disease – in this case, heart failure.
‘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.’
Viagra has already been successful in treating patients with pulmonary hypertension which affects around 250,000 people in the UK. It causes high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
It can be caused by heart or lung conditions such as emphysema and bronchitis and in some people is caused by lack of oxygen to the lungs, or hypoxia.
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