The research, which was financed by the Heart Foundation and reported today in Circulation Science, may have significant consequences for the treatment of cardiac health issues in people.
As per University experts, the drug Viagra, which is used to treat sexual problems, may effectively control irregular heart rhythms called as arrhythmia in sheep. Torsades de Pointes, which can result in abrupt cardiac events, were also decreased. The researchers believe the medicine could also be used to cure other arrhythmias.
Correct The Heart Rhythm With The Help Of A Sex Drug
Though presently this research is animal-based only, it may have a strong impact on human health as well and hence experts check the probabilities to what extent this can help people with such cardiac issues.
The sample study has encouraging results for the heart patients but its practical utility is yet to be checked said an expert and member of the given research team. We may get some better findings shortly he further added.
The researchers are enabled to evaluate the calcium reserves and the electrical characteristics of isolated sheep cardiomyocytes called myocardial cells. Bronchodilators and implanted defibrillators are two treatments that can help, although they aren’t usually successful. Cardiovascular arrhythmia frequently occurs after a cardiac arrest or as a result of cardiovascular diseases.
They could induce symptoms including palpitations, dyspnea, dizziness, and even abrupt death, however, they are usually benign.
Dr. David Hutchings is a professor at a leading University. “Not only has this study revealed that Viagra has a substantial antiarrhythmic effect on living heart tissue, but our cell studies have also uncovered the mechanism through which this occurs,” stated the paper’s lead author.
Whenever a person has a cardiac illness, the SR could become calcium-overloaded, causing the heartbeat at the wrong moment it should be relaxing among pulses. While calcium is an important component of the heart’s beating activity, an excess of it can produce arrhythmias. Viagra is strong enough to stop the cell’s calcium overloading response from working. The method is comprised of an inside-the-cell enzyme route that involves PDE5 and activates a specific protein kinase G, which affects the capillaries in the penis and allows fluid to circulate into it.
Principal Investigator Professor Andrew Trafford, says that “this exciting study builds on our previous work funded by The Heart Foundation around the effect of Viagra on the heart.”
“In 2016, our study of patients with diabetes showed that incidental use of Viagra was linked with reduced heart attack risk and improved heart attack survival.”
“In 2019, we found that Viagra can slow or even reverse the progression of heart failure in sheep and this work dramatically extends those important findings providing another tool with which to beat heart disease.”
“Much more work still needs to be done- but we feel we are getting closer to an effective and powerful alternative to current treatments.”
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the Heart Foundation, said that “A better understanding of how heart rhythm disturbances occur could pave the way for better preventions and treatments for them.”
“This study suggests that the enzyme PDE5, which is suppressed by Viagra, may also play a key role in causing abnormal heart rhythms that arise from an overload of calcium in sheep heart cells. This could be important because the electrical behavior in these cells is similar to that of human heart cells.”
“More research is needed, however, before Viagra and similar drugs can be repurposed for treating abnormal heart rhythms in patients.”
PDE5 inhibition reduces SR Ca2+ concentration and inhibits cardiac arrhythmias, according to a study reported in Circulation Science.
