A recent study has sparked interest in the potential link between the erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease in men. The study, published in the journal Neurology, analyzed data from public health databases of approximately 270,000 men in the UK without clinical signs of dementia and who had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction.
The researchers compared the rate of Alzheimer’s diagnosis over the next five years in patients who were prescribed Viagra or a similar drug in the same class and those who were not prescribed it. The findings showed that the risk of Alzheimer’s in patients prescribed Viagra was 18% lower than in patients in the second group. Furthermore, the rate of dementia diagnosis appeared even lower in those who had obtained more than 20 prescriptions over the five-year period.
However, the study is observational and can only demonstrate an association, not a cause-effect relationship. While it is tempting to speculate that Viagra may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s, the study cannot confirm this. Researchers suggest that men who are more sexually active and less at risk of dementia may also be more inclined to be prescribed Viagra.
Viagra belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. These drugs relax the blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood into the penis, but the effect could also extend to the brain, where improved circulation could potentially help eliminate toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s.
Despite the intriguing findings, past studies have produced conflicting results. In a 2021 study, researchers found no protective effect of Viagra against Alzheimer’s. Other potential confounding factors, such as quality of sleep and the management of other chronic conditions, may alter the results.
The study emphasizes the need for further research to investigate the potential link between Viagra and Alzheimer’s, potentially involving men without erectile dysfunction as well as women, who are more often affected by Alzheimer’s. Researchers hope that additional studies will shed more light on this complex and intriguing relationship.