RICHMOND, Va., March 5 (UPI) -- Erectile-dysfunction drugs such as Viagra may be better heart protectors than standard nitroglycerin therapy, say U.S. researchers.
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University compared nitroglycerin with two commonly prescribed ED drugs -- Pfizer's Viagra (sildenafil), and GlaxoSmithKline/Schering Plough's Levitra (vardenafil) -- to see how well each drug protected the heart after a heart attack.
The researchers found that, in animal studies, the two ED drugs reduced damage in the heart muscle when given after a severe heart attack, while nitroglycerin -- commonly prescribed for angina, or chest pain -- failed in that same task under similar conditions.
"Erectile dysfunction drugs can prevent damage in the heart not only when given before a heart attack, as we discovered previously, but also lessen the injury after the heart attack," said Rakesh Kukreja, lead author of the study.
"Preserving heart function is critical to optimal cardiac outcomes," said George Vetrovec, chair of cardiology at the VCU Pauley Heart Center. "These agents have significant potential to enhance patient outcomes, particularly in high risk circumstances, such as acute heart attacks."
The findings were published in the February issue of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, the official publication of the International Society for Heart Research.
