Israeli fighter pilots may soon be given Viagra in order to improve their performance at higher altitudes. The drugs work in treating impotence problems by increasing blood flow by relaxing certain arteries. It has been discovered that this increased blood flow may also help fighter pilots who fly at very high altitudes and in stressful situations.
Researchers have found, by studying a group of Israeli doctors who were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, that tadalafil, the active ingredient in the anti-impotence drug Cialis, helped the climbers to ward off fatigue and dizziness at greater heights. The increased supply of blood to the brain and lungs resulted in an increased amount of oxygen reaching these areas than would have been the case if the drug had not been taken.
This effect has been used with great results in various fields of medicine completely unrelated to anti-impotence treatments. Last year Viagra was prescribed to a premature baby, Lewis Goodfellow, who was born weighing just 1lb 8oz. When one of his lungs failed he was given the drug. It caused the blood vessels in his tiny lungs to open, thus giving him sufficient oxygen and saving his life. In America scientists have also found that pregnant women suffering with high blood pressure, who were prescribed Viagra, maintained a healthier circulation and had easier and safer births than were expected.