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Year
2007 |
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Archives
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Viagra aids men with heart failure
2004-06-14
Impotence drug improves mood and quality of life
The combination of heart failure and impotence causes depression
in some men, but Viagra
may improve all three disorders, according to a small Canadian study.
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood effectively. Traditionally, it was thought impotence treatment with Viagra (also known as sildenafil) would be risky in men with heart failure, but this new study shows it is not only safe but it may impact on much more than just their sex life.
"We found as their erectile
dysfunction improved, their quality of life improved and their
symptoms of depression diminished," says Linda Webster, the
lead study investigator and an advanced nurse practitioner at the
University of Alberta in Edmonton.
The study involved 35 men with heart failure and impotence. To qualify for the study, the men could not be taking heart drugs called nitrates, which interact dangerously with sildenafil. Nor could they have blockages in the blood vessels that feed the heart.
The men were randomly assigned to take sildenafil or inactive (placebo) pills for six weeks, then they switched pills for another six weeks. The men treated with sildenafil had significant improvements in erectile function and depression scores.
Even though sildenafil caused a slight reduction in blood pressure, no man in the study had a dangerous drop in blood pressure while taking the drug.
Researchers think sildenafil may improve mood by increasing blood flow to the brain, and allow heart failure patients to breathe more easily by expanding blood vessels in the lungs, just as it does in the penis.
source :-http://www.medicalposting.ca | 
