Alzheimer’s Research UK praised the findings as “encouraging,” but it also supported additional research to delve deeper into the data and consider the potential effects of erectile dysfunction medications on other people.
The possibility of repurposing medications to treat the condition could help “accelerate progress and open up new avenues to prevent or treat dementia-causing diseases,” according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, which termed the results “encouraging.”
To validate the findings and investigate the potential effects of the medications on women and other individuals, the organization stated that additional research is necessary.
Experts from University College London (UCL) reviewed the medical records of 269,725 males over 40, with an average age of 59, who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction between 2000 and 2017 for this study, which was published in the journal Neurology.
Avanafil, Cialis, Vardenafil, and Viagra are examples of PDE5I drugs (phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors), which were prescribed to more than half of the individuals in the sample.
During an average follow-up duration of 5.1 years, 1,119 males received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
According to a UCL statistical analysis, men who took the medication had an 18% lower risk of developing the condition than men who had erectile dysfunction but did not take the medication.
