Viagra peps up... the heart

MEN take Viagra in the hope of improving their love life – but now it seems it could help them live longer too.

The erectile dysfunction drug protects against heart attacks and stroke in men with heart disease, a study found.

Those who took Viagra, the brand name for sildenafil, were less likely to die than those on other forms of impotence medication.

Overall it cut heart attacks by one fifth, heart failure by a quarter and deaths by 12 per cent.

The more frequently men used Viagra, the lower their chance of a heart attack or heart failure.

The five-year Swedish study, published in the Journal of the

American College of Cardiology, followed more than 16,500 men with coronary heart disease who also took Viagra.

All had previously had a stroke, balloon dilation or coronary artery bypass surgery. The number who went on to suffer another heart attack, heart failure or major heart surgery was much lower among those treated with Viagra than in another group of 2,000 patients given the alternative impotence drug alprostadil.

Viagra pills work by blocking the action of an enzyme, PDE5, increasing blood flow.

Alprostadil is usually given as a cream or injection and works locally, explaining why it does not seem to benefit heart health.

The study concluded: ‘The lower risk of death was dose-dependent and stronger among younger than older men.’

More trials are needed to determine whether Viagra directly reduces the risk of heart attacks, it added.

Erectile dysfunction is a common early warning sign of coronary heart disease, which affects 4million men in the UK.

The research adds to evidence that Viagra is beneficial for cardiovascular health, despite men with heart disease often being told to avoid the drug.

NHS guidelines say men should exercise caution over taking Viagra and if they have cardiovascular disease.