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Viagra Might Help Heart Problems In Children

Drug Relaxes Blood Vessels, Making It Easier For Blood To Flow

POSTED: 5:56 pm EDT September 14, 2004

Viagra has done wonders for the male libido, but now the drug may also offer help to some very sick children.

Dr. Mary Taylor, a pediatric cardiologist at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., is studying whether Viagra can help children with pulmonary hypertension.

"Many children die with pulmonary hypertension that is irreversible, and, until now, we have not really had any options or medications to sent them home on," Taylor said.

Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the blood pressure rises inside the lungs, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the lungs.

"Viagra works by helping the blood vessels dilate or relax," Taylor explained.

The treatment has been successful in adults and in several babies with the condition.

"We are hoping that using it over the course of months that the blood vessels will remodel and relax and allow the pulmonary hypertension to reverse," Taylor said.

In the current study, Viagra or a placebo is given through an IV to patients for 24 hours after heart surgery to see how the body responds.

Kyle Russell, 15, had Down syndrome and had to undergo heart surgery three times. He died a week after he and his mother were interviews for this story. He participated in the Viagra trial, but doctors said the study was not related to the teen's death.

"The sad thing is, research is the only way to find out if something works, and somebody has to participate. If nothing else, maybe one day I can look back and say, 'Hey, we helped do that,'" said Tammy Russell, Kyle's mother.

Vanderbilt Children's Hospital will continue to move forward with the clinical trial because they still believe Viagra can help children with heart problems.

Copyright 2004 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and NBC10.com NBC10. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.