Does Viagra reduce Alzheimer’s risk

Share on PinterestA new study investigates whether Viagra might influence Alzheimer’s disease. Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesUsing genetic and other biological data, researchers recently concluded that Viagra (sildenafil) might influence Alzheimer’s disease. When they analyzed insurance claims for prescriptions, they found that sildenafil scrips were associated with a 69% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s in claimants. Laboratory tests on nerve cells from people with Alzheimer’s supported the notion that sildenafil may treat the disease. However, the researchers emphasize that only clinical trials can provide definitive proof that sildenafil is an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s. Doctors prescribe sildenafil â€" popularly known by its brand name, Viagra â€" to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension, which refers to high blood pressure in the lungs. However, several studies in mice, and a few pilot studies in humans, have hinted that sildenafil could also treat Alzheimer’s disease. A new study has now provided biological and population-based evidence to support the idea that the drug may help prevent and treat the disease.“Developing drugs for diseases, like Alzheimer’s, which attack the brain, is a costly process and can take many years,” Dr. Susan Kohlhaas, Ph. D., director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK in the United Kingdom, told Medical News Today.“Being able to repurpose a drug already licensed for other health conditions could help speed up the drug discovery process and bring about life-changing dementia treatments sooner,” she said. The study, led by the Genomic Medicine Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, appears in Nature Aging. In Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, the death of brain cells causes progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Due to our aging population, scientists predict that by 2050, 13.8 million people in the United States alone will have Alzheimer’s. The main hallmarks of the disease in the brain are plaques of a protein called beta-amyloid and fibrous tangles of tau, another protein. So far, however, clinical trials of drugs and vaccines that target the two proteins have met with disappointing results. A complex interplay of genes and environmental factors causes Alzheimer’s. To predict which existing drugs could provide new treatments, the researchers used a computational model that incorporates data about the disease’s genetics and the involved networks of metabolic pathways. In particular, they focused on interactions between proteins in networks that play a part in creating both beta-amyloid and tau. Next, they generated “network proximity measures” for over 1,600 approved drugs according to how closely they interact with these Alzheimer’s-related networks. This allowed the scientists to narrow down the field to 66 drugs that could potentially treat the disease. All data is taken from the source: http://medicalnewstoday.com Article Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-viagra-reduce-alzheimers-risk #AlzheimerdiseaseViagra #newscast #newstodayworld #newsworldtoday #newstodayinusa #newsworldnow #


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