L o n g C o n s i d e r e d a T h r e a t , V i a g r a

M a y H e l p T r e a t H e a r t D i s e a s e
Ryan Wallace
October 21, 2014
O N M P z |
Viagra started out life as a cardiovascular treatment
and some experts believe it should return to its root
use. (Photo by William Vazquez/Pfizer/AP Photo)
The little blue pill that has long been known to enable and
enhance sexual performance in men could also be used as a
treatment for heart disease, according to a new study.
Viagra hit the market in 1998 after the Food and Drug
Administration approved its use for the treatment of impotence
in men. Over the next decade, it became the most
commercially successful drug on the market, with more than
1.8 billion pills used by 35 million people.
Lost in Viagras salacious reputation was the fact that the drug
(under generic name Sildenafil) was originally designed to
treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease due to its
ability to widen blood vessels and increase blood flow. "Its
results as an anti-angina drug were only modest, but patients
reported the unexpected side effect of improved erections,"
explained lead author Andrea M. Isidori on the BioMed
Central website. "The focus of interest in this drug shifted
rapidly from the heart to the bedroom."
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