A study linking Viagra to the treatment of millions of Alzheimer's patients in the world
Researchers have taken the drug "Sildenafil", known commercially as Viagra, in a direction other than the one that is known worldwide, noting that they have found hope in it for Alzheimer's patients around the world.
Recent studies have indicated that this drug can treat Alzheimer's, and a new study provides multiple evidence to support the idea that the drug may help prevent and treat the disease.
According to the German website Deutsche Villa.
Dr Susan Koolhaas, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, told British Medical News: "The development of drugs for diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, which affects the brain, is an expensive process and can take several years." Employing a drug that is already licensed for other health conditions could help speed up the drug discovery process and lead to dementia treatments that could dramatically change patients’ lives quickly.”
The study, led by the Institute of Genomic Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, is published in the journal Nature AgingTrusted Source.
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is known to cause brain cell death, progressive memory loss and cognitive decline.
Scientists predict that by 2050, 13.8 million people in the United States alone will develop Alzheimer's disease.
Doctors often prescribe sildenafil for males, so the study was not able to determine any potential benefits for females with regard to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and the effect of taking Viagra on them. “There is not enough information from which to draw accurate conclusions about the effect of Viagra on females, Which accounts for the majority of Alzheimer's disease cases worldwide.
One of the most important distinguishing features of the disease is the presence of a protein called beta-amyloid, as well as another protein called tau found in a cross-linked form.
However, so far, clinical trials of drugs and vaccines that target the two proteins have had disappointing results.
Scientists in a study analyzed the results of 7.23 million people in the United States who were prescribed Viagra as a treatment for each other in different conditions, and discovered that those who were prescribed sildenafil had a 69% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease over the next six years.
The relationship remained statistically significant after accounting for other factors that influence the risk of Alzheimer's disease, such as gender, ethnic group, and other medical conditions.
These conditions included type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and mild cognitive impairment.
Finally, to confirm that sildenafil can affect the underlying mechanism of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers tested the drug in vitro on neurons obtained from individuals with the disease. The protein that is used as a biomarker to measure the progression of the disease in humans and experimental animals alike, which may make "Viagra" a door of hope for millions of Alzheimer's sufferers around the world.
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sildenafil,
Alzheimer's disease