In a groundbreaking dementia trial, researchers at the University of Oxford have found that the “little blue pill” often used to enhance sexual performance could be instrumental in preventing a common form of dementia caused by the narrowing of blood vessels. The drug, Sildenafil, more commonly known as Viagra, could potentially play a role in preventing a disease that affects 150,000 Britons.
The trial involved 75 participants who had suffered a stroke and showed signs of disease in the small blood vessels in their brain. Viagra was used alongside a placebo and other drugs in this double-blind trial due to its ability to significantly increase blood flow.
The three-week trial revealed that not only did it have fewer unwanted side effects compared to the other drug, but Oxford scientists also found it “significantly” increased blood flow in these small blood vessels, which is linked to the onset of vascular dementia.
Vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, is caused by damaged blood vessels and limited blood flow in the brain. It often occurs following a stroke, disease, or other instances when the flow of blood to your brain is reduced – an issue that Viagra can directly address.
Alastair Webb, a consultant neurologist at Imperial College London, spoke to Medical News Today about how cerebral small vessel disease can lead to vascular dementia. He explained: “Small vessel disease is chronic damage to the small blood vessels deep inside the brain, resulting in them becoming narrow, blocked, and leaky.”
“This damage occurs to some extent in most people as they get older, but it is much more severe in some, often due to having high blood pressure for a long time. The resulting damage may further reduce blood flow to the deep part of the brain resulting in strokes and dementia.”
Participants in the trial were given their medication over the course of three weeks, with MRI scans and other tests to see if blood flow had improved in their brains. Those who were taking Viagra were found to have better flow in their small and medium sized blood vessels, which would help to prevent both dementia, as well as dangerous ischemic strokes.
The trial’s findings, published in Circulation Research, could prove “pivotal” in fighting the common neurodegenerative disease as Viagra is already a widely-used drug with well-known side effects and at-risk groups. As millions of men have been able to attest since its invention in 1989, it’s also very effective at improving the flow of blood in your body.
Dr. Alastair Webb, Associate Professor at the Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia at Oxford University said: “This is the first trial to show that sildenafil gets into the blood vessels in the brain in people with this condition, improving blood flow and how responsive these blood vessels are. These two key factors are associated with chronic damage to the small blood vessels in the brain, which is the commonest cause of vascular dementia.”
“This demonstrates the potential of this well-tolerated, widely-available drug to prevent dementia, which needs testing in larger trials.”