Topline
Using Viagra, known generically as sildenafil, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to new peer-reviewed research published in Nature Aging Monday, offering hope the widely used drug might be repurposed as a treatment for the neurodegenerative condition.
Viagra may help prevent Alzheimer's, a study found.
Key Facts
Researchers found that using sildenafil was associated with a 69% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease when accounting for other factors like sex, race and age, according to an analysis of insurance claims data from over seven million people in the U.S.
The finding does not mean the drug is responsible for the reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, the researchers cautioned, warning other factors could be responsible, including the possibility the drug is only prescribed to wealthy people who have lower chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The researchers said the findings mean sildenafil, commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction and a type of high blood pressure, should be studied as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s.
The researchers were prompted to examine sildenafil after it scored highly in a computational study designed to assess how various FDA-approved drugs would interact with molecules associated with Alzheimer’s.
What We Don’t Know
What caused the drop in Alzheimer’s. The study was observational, meaning it cannot determine causes and only establishes an association between sildenafil use and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Buoyed by the findings, lead researcher Dr. Feixiong Cheng said the team is planning clinical trials to “test causality and confirm sildenafil’s clinical benefits for Alzheimer’s patients.”
Key Background
Viagra’s ascendant journey to become a top-selling drug was an accident. It was initially developed as a heart drug—it dilates blood vessels—though it also acted elsewhere in the body. The side effects reported in male study participants prompted the company to see whether it might also be used to treat erectile dysfunction. Its potential as an Alzheimer’s treatment, if proven, is promising. Around 5.8 million Americans live with the disease, according to the CDC, and despite its prevalence, there is no cure. Its causes are not fully understood and there are few treatments. The FDA approved the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s in June, Biogen’s Aduhelm. The approval was controversial and divided experts, many of whom criticized the drug’s cost and questioned the evidence supporting its use or whether it even worked. Aduhelm, a monoclonal antibody, targets a protein that groups together in plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Further Reading
Viagra’s famously surprising origin story is actually a pretty common way to find new drugs (Quartz)
