Did you know Viagra can do much more good to you? According to a new study, one of the key ingredients present in Viagra can protect the heart, in addition to enhancing sexual pleasure.
The researchers of the study reported that long-term daily intake of Viagra can protect heart health in those suffering from heart disease at different stages without side effects. This ingredient blocks the enzyme PDE5 that prevents relaxation of smooth muscle tissue. According to Andrea Isidori from the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, lead author of the study the key ingredient Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) present in Viagra can specifically be used as an effective, safe treatment for several patients suffering from heart disease
For the study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials by assessing articles published between January 2004 and May 2014 to test the effectiveness of PDE5i in providing cardiac protection. They identified 24 suitable trials involving 1622 patients from mixed populations who were treated with PDE5i or a placebo. For the first time, they conducted a parallel analysis of the effects of the inhibitor on the size and shape of the heart and its performance.
The analysis shows that PDE5i prevented the heart from increasing in size and changing shape in patients suffering from left ventricular hypertrophy – a condition which causes thickening of the muscles in the left ventricle.
The inhibitor also improved heart performance in all patients with other heart conditions with no negative effect on the patients’ blood pressure. ‘The inhibitor could be reasonably administered to men who suffer from heart muscle thickening and early-stage heart failure,’ the authors concluded. Large clinical trials are now urgently needed to build on these encouraging findings, said the study authors.