Recent research suggests that Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction medication Viagra may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 69%.
The medication significantly reduces the toxic proteins that can lead to dementia, according to the study, which was published in Nature. The study found that the medication has a direct effect on brain health.
The drug may one day be used to treat dementia because the findings of the study are so encouraging. A new group of experts is getting ready to carry out a second study that builds on the previous one but tests the generic Viagra, sildenafil, in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease.
After evaluating 1,600 previously approved medications in an effort to locate one that could be used to combat dementia’s underlying causes, the team of researchers determined that Viagra could be used as a dementia treatment.
“Sildenafil, which has been shown in preclinical models to significantly improve memory and cognition, was presented as the best drug candidate. The lead researcher on the Cleveland Clinic-conducted study, Dr. Feixiong Cheng, stated, “Sildenafil may have neuroprotective effects and reduce levels of toxic tau proteins.”
Even though people are excited about the study’s promising results, some experts say not to get too excited yet because clinical trials are still needed.
Another recent study discovered yet another unlikely weapon in the fight against dementia: Viagra and coffee offer new hope. coffee. Consuming coffee may significantly lower your risk of developing the disease, according to research.
The enigmatic disease, for which there is currently no cure, is clarified by the study. Although coffee does not prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease in the same way that some medications do, the study found that people with no memory loss who also drank more coffee than usual had a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which is thought to be a stage before Alzheimer’s disease.
“At the present time, there are no effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Lead author Samantha Gardener, a research fellow at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, stated, “Our research group is specifically looking at modifiable risk factors that could delay the onset of the disease, and even a five-year delay could have massive social and economic benefits.”
Gardener went on to say that “one of the most popular beverages consumed” is coffee, which is consumed by a large percentage of adults worldwide every day.
Coffee’s widespread popularity could make it a viable strategy for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. However, she also emphasized the significance of additional research. Gardener and her team do not yet know which component of coffee itself slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Gardener stated, “This is obviously preliminary data and it needs a lot more research before it is recommended. However, it is really positive and hopefully can be incorporated as a modifiable lifestyle factor that can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in the future.”
