Good news for young heart disease patients – ED drug can be a treatment option

Viagra is a popular medication prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It has helped millions of men improve their erectile functioning and helped them enjoy more fulfilling sex lives. But, there seems to be another benefit hidden in the action mechanism of Viagra. Studies conducted have indicated that it improves the heart function in young patients suffering from heart disease.

Helping the heart

The pumping ability of the heart in children and young adults receives a big boost by the action of Viagra, specifically in those who have undergone a Fontan operation. This is a surgical procedure undertaken for the correction of single-ventricle heart defects. This surgery is characterized by venous blood being directed to the pulmonary arteries, bypassing the heart. It is the third stage in what is known as 'staged reconstruction' in children and young adults who are suffering from single ventricle defects. These defects are essentially malformations of the heart that interfere with the ability of the heart to pump enough blood to all corners of your body.

The research study

The fact that the active ingredient of Viagra, sildenafil, improves the heart's pumping ability was discovered as a result of a study conducted on a random group of children and young adults. The common factor amongst all the subjects of this study was that they had all gone through the Fontan operation. Some subjects were put on a placebo while others were given sildenafil, three times a day.  This was done for a month and a half. This was followed by a 6 week break, following which the treatment was switched over. Researchers found that when subjects were offered treatment with sildenafil, they experienced a significant improvement in the heart function.

Good news for patients

Heart problems affect the general quality of your life. For children and young adults, its even more difficult to face up to the challenge of restricting various activities in their daily life, in order to manage the functioning of their heart.  Nobody would have expected an ED treatment drug to emerge as the champion for this particular age group suffering from heart problem. But it seems help is on hand with sildenafil, and children and young adults suffering from heart condition can see an improvement in the general quality of their life.

More studies underway

For a condition as complex and serious as heart disease, more studies are needed before doctors begin prescribing sildenafil as a treatment option for single ventricle heart defects amongst the young. So far, the results have been positive and researchers believe that further studies will not only conclusively prove the efficiency of this drug, but will also allow them to make sure that this drug is well tolerated and will leave no after effects in patients taking this drug for treatment of heart failure.

This is yet another feather in the cap of Viagra, which has proven to be effective against even the severest cases of erectile dysfunction. It remains to be seen whether it can make the transition of being a medication that can only be used by adult men (18 and over) to a drug that is used to treat children and young adults.