In a recent study, researchers found that a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction to slow or even reverse the progression of heart failure.
They found Tadalafil—which is in the same class as Viagra— is biologically effective as a treatment for heart failure in sheep.
The researchers argue the effect is likely to also be shown in humans.
The study is a breakthrough in the treatment for the disease in which five-year survival rates are lower than most common cancers.
The research was done by a team at the University of Manchester.
Heart failure is a devastating condition, occurring when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
It also causes a build-up of fluid that backs up into the lungs, resulting in breathlessness as well as fluid retention, resulting in swelling of different parts of the body.
Most current treatments are ineffective.
The team says this discovery is an important advance in a devastating condition that causes misery for thousands of people across the UK and beyond.
There is limited evidence from human trials and epidemiological studies that show Tadalafil can be effective in treating heart failure.
This study provides further confirmation, adds mechanistic details and demonstrates that Tadalafil could now be a possible therapy for heart failure.
It’s entirely possible that some patients taking it for erectile dysfunction have also unwittingly enjoyed a protective effect on their heart.
In the study, the dose the sheep received was similar to the dose humans are given when being treated for erectile dysfunction.
Tadalafil blocks an enzyme called Phosphodiesterase 5 or PDE5S for short, which regulates how our tissue responds to hormones like adrenaline.
The research team found that in heart failure, the drug altered the signaling cascade—a series of chemical reactions in the body—to restore the heart’s ability to respond to adrenaline.
And that increases the ability of the heart to force blood around the body when working harder.
The team says that Tadalafil is only suitable as a treatment for systolic heart failure—when the heart is not able to pump properly—and there may be interactions with other drugs patients are taking.
The lead author of the study is Professor Andrew Trafford.
The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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