Viagra, the erectile dysfunction drug, may be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, reported a new study.
Researchers found that Viagra, also called sildenafil, was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by 69 per cent when accounting for factors like sex, race and age.
Experts from the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top rated hospitals in the US, analysed more than seven million people's insurance claims data, using computer modelling to search for drugs that might target areas of dementia.
Their findings suggest that men on Viagra had a substantially lower risk of Alzheimer's as they called for more research into its uses.
AD is the most common form of age-related dementia, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and there is currently no effective treatment.
The authors of the new study said they cannot definitely say there is a causal relationship between Viagra and Alzheimer's, but called for this to be tested in a clinical trial.
Lead investigator Dr Feixiong Cheng, from the Cleveland Clinic, said the findings were encouraging but said more work was needed.
"Because our findings only establish an association between sildenafil use and reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease, we are now planning a mechanistic trial and a phase two randomised clinical trial to test causality and confirm sildenafil's clinical benefits for Alzheimer's patients," he said.
Viagra was originally designed as a heart drug but doctors also found it improved blood flow to the penis.
At least two-thirds of men have improved erections after taking it, according to the NHS.
