Viagra Protects Hearts of Muscular Dystrophy Patients
By admin • May 13th, 2008 • Category: Heart Disease
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Anti-impotence pills might protect the hearts of patients with a common form of muscular dystrophy.
According to a new Canadian study, people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often suffer from heart failure, but Viagra might prevent or delay the onset of this condition.
Canadian researchers gave sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, to mice with an animal version of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and found that it improved their heart performance.
However, they said it would be premature to give Viagra to people with the disease. But, the findings open up the possibility of Viagra being used to prevent or delay heart failure in these patients.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a less severe variant called Becker muscular dystrophy affect about one in every 3,500 to 5,000 boys in the United States.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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