How VIAGRA could cure heart failure: Blue pill ‘restores organ’s ability to respond to adrenaline’

How VIAGRA could cure heart failure: The little blue pill ‘restores the organ’s ability to respond to adrenaline’ and reversed the deadly condition in a trial on sheep

  • Anti-impotence drug blocked enzyme which regulates adrenaline response
  • It also restored heart’s ability to force blood around body when working harder
  • Professors at University of Manchester, which conducted study, said it showed promise treatment could work in humans

The anti-impotence drug Viagra could be used to cure heart failure, according to new research. 

The little blue pill, used to treat erectile dysfunction, was found to slow and even reverse the progression of the condition in sheep.

The British Heart Foundation funded study at the University of Manchester conducted is a breakthrough in the hunt to cure the disease which kills 66,000 Britons each year. 

Anti-impotence drug Viagra could be used to cure heart failure by restoring the organ’s ability to respond to adrenaline

Leading professor Andrew Trafford said it was ‘entirely possible’ the treatment will work on humans.

He said: ‘This discovery is an important advance in a devastating condition which causes misery for thousands of people across the UK and beyond.

‘We do have limited evidence from human trials and epidemiological studies that show Tadalafil can be effective in treating heart failure.

‘This study provides further confirmation, adds mechanistic details and demonstrates that Tadalafil could now be a possible therapy for heart failure.

‘It’s entirely possible that some patients taking it for erectile dysfunction have also unwittingly enjoyed a protective effect on their heart.’

Almost one million Britons are living with heart failure, which occurs when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

It causes a build-up of fluid that backs up into the lungs, resulting in breathlessness as well fluid retention, resulting in swelling of different parts of the body.

But in the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, Viagra was shown to reduce the symptoms.

Sheep were used by the team as the physiology their hearts is similar to human hearts.

When the animals had heart failure – induced by pace makers – which was sufficiently advanced to need treatment, the team administered the drug. 

The blue pill was found to slow and even reverse the disease in sheep in a breakthrough study at the University of Manchester

The blue pill was found to slow and even reverse the disease in sheep in a breakthrough study at the University of Manchester

Within a short period the progressive worsening of the heart failure was stopped and, importantly the drug reversed the effects of heart failure.

And the biological cause of breathlessness in heart failure- the inability of the heart to respond to adrenaline was almost completely reversed.

The dose the sheep received were similar to the dose humans are given when being treated for erectile dysfunction.

Tadalafil blocks an enzyme called Phosphodiesterase 5, or PDE5S for short, which regulates how our tissue responds to hormones like adrenaline.

The research team found that in heart failure, the drug altered the signalling cascade – a series of chemical reactions in the body – to restore the heart’s ability to respond to adrenaline.

How does Viagra work for erectile dysfunction? 

Viagra increases blood flow to the penis to help men get an erection. 

It does this by relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump them around your body. 

It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes for the drug to work for erectile dysfunction. 

You can take it up to four hours before you want to have sex.

Taking Viagra alone will not cause an erection, you need to be aroused for it to work. 

Viagra commonly comes in a small blue pill, but occasionally comes as a liquid you can drink.

The treatment restored the heart’s ability to force blood around the body when working harder.

Professor Trafford added: ‘This is a widely used and very safe drug with minimal side effects.

‘However we would not advise the public to treat themselves with the drug and should always speaking to their doctor if they have any concerns or questions.

‘Tadalafil is only suitable as a treatment for systolic heart failure – when the heart is not able to pump properly – and there may be interactions with other drugs patients are taking.’

Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Viagra-type drugs were initially developed as potential treatments for heart disease before they were found to have unexpected benefits in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. 

‘We seem to have gone full-circle, with findings from recent studies suggesting that they may be effective in the treatment of some forms of heart disease – in this case, heart failure.

‘We need safe and effective new treatments for heart failure, which is a cruel and debilitating condition that affects almost a million people in the UK. 

‘The evidence from this study – that a Viagra-like drug could reverse heart failure – should encourage further research in humans to determine if such drugs may help to save and improve lives.’

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