According to the “New York Post”, new research indicated that taking Viagra, the most popular drug for treating erectile dysfunction, reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by two-thirds.
Scientists in the study said that the popular drug, Viagra, may help boost brain health and reduce levels of toxic proteins that cause dementia.
Experts analyzed data from 7.2 million adults in the United States and found that drug users had a 69 percent lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease over the next six years.
Medics say that the results, published in the journal “Nature Aging”, indicate that the “little blue pill” could soon be prescribed to treat Alzheimer’s.
Scientists are planning a new study that will directly test the effect of Viagra on Alzheimer’s patients in its early stages.
“Sildenafil, the generic form of sildenafil, has been shown to significantly improve cognition and memory in preclinical models, and has been presented as the best candidate drug for Alzheimer’s tests,” said principal investigator Feixiong Cheng of the Institute of Genomic Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
He added: “Sildenafil may have a positive effect on nerves, as well as reduce levels of toxic tau proteins.”
About 850,000 Britons currently suffer from dementia-related diseases, and the number is expected to reach one million within a decade.
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