The Medical Advisor

A study funded by drug company Sanofi found treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5is), such as Viagra, lowers the risk of death in men. 1   But the study was observational, so it can’t confirm that the reduced death risk was caused by the pills. Further, Sanofi markets the PDE-5is avanafil (Stendra), so it’s far from an unbiased study. “Put simply, if a pharmaceutical company funds a trial, the chances of results and conclusions in that company’s favor are increased,” Sergio Sismondo of Queen’s University, Canada, explained in Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics. 2  He was referring to a 2017 Cochrane Review, which found that when drug manufacturer funds a drug study, it “leads to more favorable efficacy results and conclusions than sponsorship by other sources.” 3 So, it’s not surprising that this industry-sponsored study led to favorable results for the drug. However, even putting likely bias aside, there’s reason to believe that the pills’ perceiv...

More than 6 million U.S. adults have Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, this number is expected to increase to nearly 13 million. 1   Despite its growing prevalence, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease and conventional treatments are lacking. So, researchers with the Cleveland Clinic analyzed 1,600 approved drugs in the hopes that one of them could be repurposed as an Alzheimer’s treatment. 2  The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil) turned out to be surprisingly effective. Usage reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 69%, while increasing neurite growth and reducing levels of toxic tau proteins. 3 High Blood Pressure’s Alzheimer’s Link It’s clear to see the importance of NO in maintaining healthy brain function when you connect the dots between other Alzheimer’s risk factors — high blood pressure among them. High blood pressure, specially elevated systolic pressure, may raise your risk of dementia. 4 One study 5  found an elevated average systolic bloo...