Health

Drugs that treat erectile dysfunction could help reduce risk of Alzheimer's, U.K. study says

By Mallika Marshall, MD

February 8, 2024 / 5:29 PM EST / CBS Boston

Drugs that treat erectile dysfunction could help reduce risk of Alzheimer's

BOSTON - A new study in the journal Neurology finds that popular drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction, like Viagra, could help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers in the U.K. followed nearly 270,000 men 40 and older with a new diagnosis of erectile dysfunction over five years. They found that those using phosphodiesterase Type 5 inhibitors, such as Viagra, had an 18% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The risk reduction was even higher in men who received 20 or more prescriptions over the study period.

These drugs work by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow so researchers speculate improved blood flow could help clear toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's from the brain, but other factors could be at play. They now hope to conduct clinical trials involving both men and women to see if these drugs can really offer protection against Alzheimer's disease.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Twitter Facebook