Viagra Use Boost Heart Health in Men with Type 2 Diabetes, Study Shows

Men who take Viagra may have a new reason to do so. A new study on the effect of PDE5 inhibitors on men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction as well as type 2 diabetes shows that these drugs can boost heart health. Among drugs classified as PDE5 inhibitors is sildenafil or Viagra. This erectile dysfunction drug may reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack and may even increase the risk of surviving one.

Medical News Today reported the results conducted by a team of researchers from the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The study is co-authored by Prof. Andrew Trafford and was published from the medical journal "Heart."

Prof. Trafford said that previous studies already showed that medications such as PDE5 inhibitors benefit the cardiovascular system. PDE5 drugs are used for erectile dysfunction and one of the most popular brands is Viagra. PDE5 medications treat erectile dysfunction by blocking the PDE5 enzyme.

The latest study, however, focused on how PDE5 drugs reduce the risk of heart attacks and deaths due to cardiovascular conditions in men with type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction.

Medical Express also reported the study and said that it compared PDE5 drug users with non-users and found that those who took PDE5 inhibiting drugs had reduced the percentage of deaths, at 19.1% vs. 23.8%, and a lower risk of death from any cause, at 31%.

The risk of dying from a heart attack was also reduced considering age and other factors that affect the incidence of heart disease in men. The study also revealed that there was a reduced risk of a heart attack in men taking PDE5 drugs for erectile dysfunction.

Viagra was initially developed for cardiovascular treatment in the UK. It was supposed to be for people with hypertension and angina but eventually it was used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Prof. Trafford remarked that their study showed the potential benefits of erectile dysfunction drugs to the heart. He also said that it is kind of reassuring that these medications can reduce the risk of heart attacks and can improve the survival from an attack in patients with type 2 diabetes.