|
Viagra may be useful for serious lung disease
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-21 14:44
Treatment with Viagra (sildenafil) can improve exercise capacity and
functional ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a serious
disease involving high pressure in the blood vessels that enter the lungs, new
research suggests.
The findings, which appear in The New England Journal of Medicine, are based
on a study of 278 patients who were randomly selected to receive Viagra, at one
of three doses, or inactive "placebo" three times daily for 12 weeks.
The main endpoint was the distance walked in 6 minutes. According to the
report, the study did not have enough patients to assess the effect of Viagra on
the risk of death.
At all of the doses tested, Viagra significantly improved the 6-minute
walking distance when compared with placebo, lead author Dr. Nazzareno Galie,
from the University of Bologna in Italy, and colleagues note. For the 222
patients who used Viagra for 1 year, the improvement in distance was 51 meters.
In addition, all of the Viagra doses were associated with a significant drop
in lung blood pressure and with an improvement in functional ability.
Consistent with previous reports, side effects, such as flushing and
diarrhea, were more common with Viagra than with placebo, the findings indicate.
"This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of sildenafil in the
treatment of patients with symptomatic pulmonary artery hypertension," the
researchers conclude. However, as noted, the study was not designed to assess
Viagra's effect on the risk of death.
The study was funded by Pfizer, Inc., which markets Viagra.
|
