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Research suggests that men taking erectile dysfunction medications, such as Viagra, may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease.
In a study of more than 260,000 men, men taking the drug were 18% less likely to develop symptoms that cause dementia.
However, further research is needed to prove that the drug is causing the effect.
But scientists are also continuing to search for existing drugs that can prevent or delay the onset of the disease in the first place.
prescription record
Drugs like Viagra were originally designed to treat high blood pressure and angina pectoris. They work by acting on cell signaling messengers that may also be associated with memory.
They are also known to affect brain cell activity, and studies in animals suggest they have some protective effects on the brain.
In a new study in neurology, researchers at University College London looked at the prescription records of thousands of men with erectile dysfunction and compared those who were given the drug with those who weren't.
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They found that over the next five years, 8.1 cases of Alzheimer's disease occurred per 10,000 person-years in the group that was prescribed the drug, and 9.7 cases of Alzheimer's disease in the group that did not take the drug.
Men who received the most prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs were least likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that regular use of the drug may have a significant impact on Alzheimer's disease. .
Researchers say the study does not show that the drug itself reduces people's risk of Alzheimer's disease, but it could point to new avenues of research.
Lead author Dr Ruth Brauer said: “Further research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs, and consider optimal dosing.” Ta.
The researchers also hope to conduct trials in women as well as men to see if the drug has any effect.
There are many factors that can cause illness. The study adjusted for some of the participants' results, including age, underlying health conditions, other medications they were taking, and whether participants smoked.
“Although this study does not conclusively prove that erectile dysfunction drugs reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, it does provide good evidence that this type of treatment is worth further study in the future.” '' said Professor Tara Spiers-Jones, UK Chair of Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh. Association.
Dr Francesco Tammanini, a neurophysiologist at the University of Reading, said this was an “excellent study” but more solid evidence was needed about how the drug affects the brain.
“If drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier, they could exert therapeutic effects by directly affecting neurons or by increasing blood flow, but both of these hypotheses need to be tested.” he said.
