In a study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers from the University of Cleveland (United States) suggest that sildenafil, the Viagra molecule, could be prescribed to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Because after analyzing the medical data of more than 7 million patients, they discovered that men who regularly took viagra had a 69% reduced risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Before becoming one of the most well-known drugs for erectile dysfunction, viagra was developed to improve blood circulation by acting on the vessels. It is also prescribed to patients with pulmonary hypertension. Researchers therefore investigated whether it could also help people at risk of vascular dementia, a disease that occurs when reduced blood flow damages the brain.
Why viagra?
Sildenafil is part of a cohort of molecules (along with diltiazem, glimepiride, losartan and metformin) tested because targeting both amyloid and the tau protein, the accumulation of which in the brain causes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. “Sildenafil, which has been shown to significantly improve cognition and memory in preclinical models, was presented as the top drug candidate. It may have neuroprotective effects and reduce levels of toxic proteins,” said Dr. Feixiong Cheng, of the Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute and lead author of the study.
However, the doctor warns that it is still too early to take viagra to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Randomized clinical trials involving both sexes with a placebo control are still needed to determine the effectiveness of sildenafil, the doctor said.
Source : Endophenotype-based in silico network medicine discovery combined with insurance record data mining identifies sildenafil as a candidate drug for Alzheimer’s diseaseNature aging, December 2021
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