Viagra gets okay in matters of the heart

Viagra, the popular drug for treating erectile dysfunction, is safe for use by men suffering from moderate heart failure, researchers say.

The study of 35 men who were given sildenafil, the generic name for the popular Pfizer brand drug, dispelled concerns that men with heart failure risked a dangerous drop in blood pressure after taking the drug.

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to keep up its workload of pumping blood to the lungs and rest of the body. It is usually treatable and patients often can survive for many years.

Viagra, which causes most men to get an erection by unblocking an arousal chemical, should not be taken by men with severe heart failure or those taking nitrates to treat their heart condition, said study author Linda Webster, of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

"Our findings suggest this drug can be prescribed in patients with moderately severe congestive heart failure provided ... they have no evidence of myocardial ischemia [a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle]," she wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The drug, which has been taken by 16 million men worldwide since its introduction in 1998, was effective in all but one patient and also reduced patients' depression.

The study said 52 per cent of men aged 40 to 70 have erection problems.

- REUTERS