Viagra lowers Alzheimer’s disease risks in men with erectile dysfunction, study claims

A new study has found that men who use erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra may have a lower chance of developing Alzheimer's disease, BBC reported.

The research involved 260,000 males and found that men who were taking the medicine were 18% less likely to develop dementia-causing diseases.

However, more research is required to prove the connection between both.

Two new Alzheimer's medicines have shown great results in slowing the pace of the disease in its earliest stages.

They alter the course of treatment for Alzheimer's by targeting beta-amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brains of those who have the disease.

In the new study in Neurology, researchers from University College London looked at the prescription records of thousands of men with erectile dysfunction, comparing those who had been given the drugs with those who hadn't.

The men with the highest number of erectile dysfunction prescriptions had the lowest risk of Alzheimer's disease, indicating that consistent erectile dysfunction medication use may have a higher protective effect against the condition.

The study, according to the researchers, may open up new research directions but does not prove that the medications themselves are lowering people's risk of Alzheimer's.

Dr Ruth Brauer, the lead researcher, stated: "More research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs, and look into the optimal dosage."

To determine whether the medication has any effect, the researchers also intend to experiment on females.