Drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, finds a new study
authors of the new Neurology paper found that men prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease years later.
The study included 269,725 men who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and who did not have any memory or thinking problems at the start of the study. Just over half (55%) were taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor drugs, including sildenafil (sold as Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil and avanafil, and were compared to those with erectile dysfunction but not prescribed the drugs.
Erectile dysfunction drugs work by dilating blood vessels and were initially developed to treat hypertension and angina. They act on a cell signalling messenger that has also been investigated for its links to memory. These drugs are also able to cross the blood-brain barrier and may affect brain cell activity. Animal research has found phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors to have some neuroprotective benefits.
Lead author Dr Ruth Brauer (UCL School of Pharmacy) said: “Although we’re making progress with the new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that work to clear amyloid plaques in the brain for people with early stages of the disease, we desperately need treatments that can prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
“More research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs and look into the optimal dosage. A randomised, controlled trial with both male and female participants is warranted to determine whether these findings would apply to women as well.”
