Many men worldwide have reason to be grateful to the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, which has allowed them to regain their ability to achieve erections and enjoy a sex life again. However, recent research has indicated that Viagra, or to give it is medical name sildenafil, may have other medical benefits. Researchers at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine have been using mice to investigate sildenafil’s impact in affecting the rate of heart damage in patients with high blood pressure.
The first part of the study identified a protein that scientists believe is key to protecting the body from heart failure, RGS2. In a group of mice with artificially induced chronic high blood pressure, the hearts of those mice engineered without the protein after a week grew 90% heavier, with half of the mice dying of heart failure. However in those mice that did have RGS2 the dangerous expansion of the heart was delayed and there was only 30% expansion. Furthermore, none of those mice died.
The discovery of this protein then lead the scientists to see whether sildenafil might encourage the action of the protein. The entire group of mice - those with and without the protein - were given the drug, and the RSG2-carrying mice displayed better heart function and up to 10% less activity of the enzymes related to stress. The mice without the protein did not show any difference.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, seems to point the way towards further research into the potential benefits of Viagra as a heart medication. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the Western world and elevated blood pressure puts patients at far greater risk of experiencing heart failure. It is to be hoped that a few years down the line will we know more about the RSG2 protein. Sildenafil is currently used to treat pulmonary hypertension in some patients under the brand name Revatio.