Can Viagra Help against Alzheimer’s?

A new study, published in the journal Neurology by Adesuyan et al. (2024), is generating buzz: Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (such as Viagra) might reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers analyzed data from men with erectile dysfunction and discovered that those who took Viagra had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s.

However, before celebrating Viagra as a miracle cure, it’s important to note some limitations of the study. Being an observational study, it demonstrates correlations but not causation. Additionally, potential influencing factors, such as lifestyle and genetic predispositions, were not fully accounted for.

While the results are promising, further research is needed to confirm the actual effect of Viagra on Alzheimer’s. Until then, caution is advised…
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Studies (just a small selection):

Adesuyan, M., Jani, Y. H., Alsugeir, D., Howard, R., Ju, C., Wei, L., & Brauer, R. (2024). Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in men with erectile dysfunction and the risk of alzheimer disease: a cohort study. Neurology, 102(4), e209131.

Gohel, D., Zhang, P., Gupta, A. K., Li, Y., Chiang, C. W., Li, L., … & Cheng, F. (2024). Sildenafil as a Candidate Drug for Alzheimer’s Disease: Real-World Patient Data Observation and Mechanistic Observations from Patient-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, (Preprint), 1-15.

Hu, E., Li, T. S., Wineinger, N. E., & Su, A. I. (2023). Association study between drug prescriptions and Alzheimer’s disease claims in a commercial insurance database. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 15(1), 118.

Prickaerts, J., Heckman, P. R., & Blokland, A. (2017). Investigational phosphodiesterase inhibitors in phase I and phase II clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. Expert opinion on investigational drugs, 26(9), 1033-1048.