A link has been found between a popular male remedy and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Drugs protect brain from neurodegenerative disease

Erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra may inadvertently reduce a man’s chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. Alzheimer’s Research UK called the study results “encouraging” but supported more research.

Alzheimer’s Research UK says the ability to repurpose drugs to combat the disease could help “accelerate progress and open up new opportunities to prevent or treat the diseases that cause dementia.”

However, the organization said more research is needed to confirm the findings and examine the impact the pill may have on women and others.

In a paper published in the journal Neurology, experts at University College London examined the medical records of 269,725 men over 40 who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction between 2000 and 2017. More than half of those surveyed were prescribed a type of medication known as a PDE5I drug, which includes Viagra and others. Over a follow-up period of an average of 5.1 years, 1,119 men were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

A statistical analysis conducted by the University of California found that men who took the drugs were 18 percent less likely to develop the condition compared with those who had erectile dysfunction but did not take the drugs.

Lead author Ruth Brower said: “While we are making progress in developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that help clear amyloid plaques in the brains of people with early stages of the disease, we are desperate for treatments that can prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease. “

But experts stress that more research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of action of these drugs, and determine the optimal dosage.

Alzheimer’s Research UK’s head of research, Leah Mursalin, said: “Developing drugs for diseases such as Alzheimer’s is expensive and can take many years.”

She added: “While this is an encouraging discovery, it does not yet confirm whether these drugs are directly responsible for reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, or whether they can slow or stop the progression of the disease, so further research, including clinical trials, is needed to confirm.” whether these drugs actually have a role in preventing or treating Alzheimer’s disease.”

The researchers noted that previous animal studies have shown that PDE5I drugs have some “neuroprotective benefits.”