• Scientists find Viagra eases chemical stress on the heart
• Healthy people exposed to adrenaline-chemical and then given Viagra
• Heart unaffected by taking Viagra; scientists looking where to use the drug
Key quote"Our latest research provides firm evidence this drug does indeed have an important impact on the heart" -
Professor David Kass, cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University in BaltimoreStory in full THE sex drug
Viagra can cut the physical effects of stress on the heart by as much as 50 per cent, according to new research.
Normally used to treat impotence, it was found to be effective when treating simulated stress as a result of emotional problems or exercise, and the scientists behind the work said it could be developed as a treatment for heart patients.
Professor David Kass, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said his team's research into sildenafil citrate, which is sold under the Viagra trade name, showed for the first time that it did have an effect on the human heart.
"We [previously] had no firm evidence as to whether or how this therapy might work in the human heart. Our latest research provides firm evidence this drug does indeed have an important impact on the heart," he said.
"Sildenafil effectively puts a 'brake' on chemical stimulation of the heart. Knowing more about the effects of sildenafil on heart function will allow for safer evaluation of its use as a treatment for heart problems."
In the study, reported in the journal Circulation yesterday, the scientists gave 35 healthy men and women with an average age of 30 a dose of an adrenaline-like chemical to simulate the effect of stress.
They experienced a 150 per cent increase in the force of their heart contractions.
"This stimulation is similar to the way the nervous system normally increases heart function when triggered by emotional or exercise stress, or in diseases such as heart failure," Prof Kass said.
When the group received a second injection, the increase in heartbeat was reduced by 50 per cent among those also given Viagra. This meant there was a smaller increase in blood flow and blood pressure. Between injections of synthetic adrenaline, the heart was not affected by taking Viagra, showing there was an absence of adverse side-effects on the resting human heart.
Dr Andrew Rankin, a consultant cardiologist at Glasgow University, said: "This research is saying [Viagra] has an effect in certain circumstances, but does not have any side-effects when there is no stimulation.
"But it's still a little bit away from saying what we'd use it for. It's a 'watch this space' type of report."
Meanwhile, in a separate study, occupational health researchers who studied 6,500 male civil servants in London found those who felt they were treated fairly at work were 30 per cent less likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who felt aggrieved.
