Erectile Dysfunction Medication, Viagra, is Good for the Heart

Viagra Can Save Lives

We've all heard and seen the ads on the radio, television, and the internet for Viagra. This popular drug is typically marketed to treat erectile dysfunction in men. A new use for Viagra has been found. The new treatment was discovered by researchers from the University of Alberta.

Although certain prescription drugs, commonly prescribed for heart patients, are not to be used in conjunction with Viagra, it has been found that Viagra can improve heart function for individuals with specific heart problems. Heart function can be increased using Viagra. This new treatment will save lives.

Patients suffering from problems concerning the right ventricle of the heart can now receive treatment. Previously, if a patient had a failing right ventricle of the heart, no treatment was available. This condition leads to death. Researchers from the University of Alberta encourage doctors to consider using Viagra for patients with this condition.

The research is published in a journal from the American Heart Association called "Circulation". The first author of the paper, Dr. Jayan Nagendran, said "There are a number of medical conditions in both children and adults for which there is a need to boost the performance of the right ventricle,

And this drug can be clinically and immediately relevant to help these patients." Dr. Jayan Nagendran is a cardiac surgery resident at The University of Alberta. Nagendran explained that in lung transplant cases, the right ventricle can deteriorate quickly. Viagra can be used in such cases improving the function of the right ventricle. This treatment has the possibility to save such a patient's life.

Currently, many treatments are available to treat failure of the left ventricle of the heart, but treating the right ventricle was not possible prior to this research. Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, the Canada Research Chair of Pulmonary Hypertension and senior author of the paper adds, "The phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors,

Which includes Viagra, Cialis, and Livitra, may offer some important benefits in this case."