Study shows lower Alzheimer's risk in Viagra users

[Golfboy307]

Interesting meta study...

Giant Study Finds Viagra Is Linked to Almost 70% Lower Risk of Alzheimer's

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Wow! Improved blood flow to the brain?

 

[Golfboy307]

That is one of the theories, along with the fact that they say that the drug also interacts with the amyloid and tau proteins. I liked that they pointed out correlation does not mean causation, which is often missing in these articles.

 

[Cataceous]

What's nice is that the correlation suggests the animal models might be applicable.

Specifically, various rodent studies have reported that PDE5 inhibitors can reverse cognitive impairments and pathology in aged wild-type mice and transgenic Alzheimer’s mouse models through mechanisms including reduced tau hyperphosphorylation (via GSK3β activation), increased BDNF, anti- inflammatory action, increased pCREB signaling, and reduced apoptosis and cell death [2; 3; 4; 5]. Beta- amyloid pathology has been reversed in some [3; 6] but not all [2; 5] studies.​

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Whether these effects will occur in humans has yet to be tested. No human studies, observational or randomized, have examined if the use of PDE5 inhibitors can protect against dementia or brain aging.​

https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/PDE5-inhibitors-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf

 

[Vince]

Sildenafil showed a 55% reduced risk of Alzheimer's compared with losartan, 63% compared with metformin, 65% compared with diltiazem, and 64% compared with glimepiride, after adjusting for age, sex, race, and disease comorbidities.

Can Viagra Prevent Alzheimer's?

Sildenafil shows potential for drug repurposing

www.medpagetoday.com

 

[MIP1950]

Was this study paid for by Pfizer? Couldn't read the article since I don't have an account, but it seems like Pfizer wants to regain market share after Viagra went generic. The other PDE-5 inhibitors should show similar properties. And this applies only to men, I'm presuming.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Impact of Testosterone on Alzheimer's Disease

www.excelmale.com

 

[sammmy]

The mice studies showing positive effect of viagra on dementia are from 10 or more years ago. Viagra went generic around that time: 2012-2013.

So has big pharma sitting on this for 10 years, just because they can't make money off a generic drug against dementia/Alzheimer, while at the same time asking for billions of funding for drugs against tau proteins, which ultimately turned out not therapeutic for Alzheimer, which makes medical people question the whole theory that tau proteins are the cause of Alzheimer...

 

[Golfboy307]

This data was gleaned from large pools of life insurance data. Not actual clinical trials. It was a surprise to many when the Viagra trend emerged. Of course, you would need actual double blind studies to prove efficacy against a disease. Wonder if they have started those?