A new, large observational study has freshly stoked the debate as to whether taking sildenafil, the active ingredient in the erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra, can help ward off Alzheimer's disease.
The study included an analysis of insurance claims data from more than 2 million patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a form of high blood pressure in the lungs. It revealed that people who took sildenafil — which is used to treat this condition under the brand name Revatio — had a 30% to 54% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, compared with patients who took four other types of blood-pressure drugs.
