Viagra Helps Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Reported November 17, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Sildenafil, more commonly known as Viagra, may be effective for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a new study.
Researchers randomly assigned 278 patients to receive placebo or Viagra in doses of 20 milligrams, 40 milligrams, or 80 milligrams three times a day.
They found the drug significantly improved results of a six-minute walk test in patients with the disease. The study revealed participants taking 80 milligrams of Viagra three times a day increased their distance by 50 meters. Those taking 40 milligrams increased their distance by 46 meters, and patients taking 20 milligrams increased their distance by 45 meters.
Investigators also discovered all three doses of Viagra reduced mean pulmonary artery pressure.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare blood vessel disorder that causes increased pressure in the pulmonary artery. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizzy spells, and fainting. It is a chronic disease associated with very poor survival rates.
SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2005;353:2148-57