Viagra, Not Just Effective for Erectile Dysfunction?

A study has found that Viagra, a well-known erectile dysfunction treatment, may help improve Alzheimer's disease, which causes dementia.

On the 8th, a research team led by Professor Ruth Brauer from the School of Pharmacy at University College London (UCL) in the UK published their findings in the international journal Neurology, reporting that Viagra may help prevent Alzheimer's by improving blood flow in the brain. The analysis suggests that the effects of erectile dysfunction drugs, which facilitate smooth blood circulation, also impact cerebral blood flow.

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Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disease characterized by declining memory and cognitive function. It is considered the cause of dementia in more than half of all dementia patients. The brain overall shrinks due to the gradual degenerative changes in the cerebral cortex cells, and the number of nerve cells significantly decreases. Although many scientists and pharmaceutical companies are developing treatments, the exact cause remains unclear. The accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain is considered the primary cause.

The research team analyzed and tracked medical records of 269,725 men in the UK, with an average age of 59, who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction between 2004 and 2017. The average follow-up period was five years. Among them, 55% were prescribed erectile dysfunction medication, while 45% were not. At the start of the study, participants had no problems with memory or thinking skills.

The erectile dysfunction drugs prescribed to the study subjects were phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), originally developed as hypertension treatments to dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow. However, they are now widely used as erectile dysfunction treatments. Viagra and Cialis are representative examples. PDE5Is relax veins and arteries to facilitate better blood flow. This effect occurs by inhibiting the enzyme PDE5, which breaks down cGMP, a compound that increases blood flow to the penis.

As a result, men who took Viagra were found to have an 18% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to those who did not. Furthermore, the effect was strongest in men who were prescribed Viagra more frequently. Men who received 21 to 50 prescriptions for Viagra had a 44% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's.

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However, the research team explained that since the analysis was based solely on Viagra prescriptions, other variables were not considered. Physically active men are more likely to seek Viagra, so their initial risk of developing Alzheimer's might be lower. In fact, a 2021 study by a team at Harvard University in the US reported no association between Viagra and Alzheimer's. Professor Brauer stated, “Appropriate clinical trials are needed to examine the effects of this drug on Alzheimer's disease not only in men but also in women.”

The PDE5 inhibitor developed by Pfizer in the US for angina and hypertension was initially less effective than existing treatments and was at risk of being discontinued. However, it became a blockbuster drug after an unexpected improvement in erectile dysfunction was observed in clinical trial participants.

The active ingredients in erectile dysfunction treatments relax veins and arteries to help blood flow better. Animal studies have shown that these drugs improve blood flow to the brain, helping to prevent Alzheimer's. Additionally, the drugs increase the amount of a substance called cGMP, which is known to help protect brain cells.

The UK’s The Guardian stated, “If erectile dysfunction drugs prevent Alzheimer's, it is expected that these drugs will be effective not only for men but also for women.”

Earlier, a domestic research team developed a fluorescent substance capable of predicting dementia onset for the first time in the world. On the 6th, a research team led by Professor Geonho Lee from the Department of Biomedical Science at Chosun University (head of the Guard Cohort Research Group) announced the successful development of a new fluorescent substance that can measure beta-amyloid oligomers, toxic proteins that cause dementia. The team developed a substance that directly binds to beta-amyloid oligomers in the brain and emits fluorescence. Using this fluorescent substance, the researchers were able not only to directly measure beta-amyloid oligomers but also to measure their concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's patients. This is the first time such a fluorescent substance has been developed.

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