Here’s some heart-breaking news for Canadian men: recent studies indicate that Viagra may not be as effective in treating high blood pressure as we thought it was. In fact, it may even put some people at risk for heart disease and stroke. But fear not — there is hope. We’ll tell you about the latest findings and how you can still use Viagra to treat your condition.
The Problem With Viagra For Hypertension
Let’s start with some bad news: recent studies have shown that Viagra may not be as effective as we thought it was in treating high blood pressure (also known as hypertension).1 But then again, perhaps not surprisingly, there’s also good news. As it turns out, Viagra may not be the miracle drug for treating high blood pressure that many had hoped for. In fact, it seems that it could even be doing some harm. But before you throw away your pills and visit your general practitioner, there’s still hope. We’ll tell you more about the studies and the problems encountered while using Viagra. But first, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane.
Viagra vs. The Great Blue North: A Brief History Of Sildenafil
The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra was first sold in Canada in 1998 and became immensely popular around the world. Its discovery was a complete accident. In 1934, a German pharmaceutical company called Bayer accidentally discovered the active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil.2 After years of research and development, Bayer approved sildenafil for use in treating erectile dysfunction. Soon after, other pharmaceutical companies began researching and developing their own versions of Viagra. Today, there are hundreds of pills and tablets that users can try to treat their erectile dysfunction. But back to our story.
The Harm Of Taking Viagra For Hypertension
The findings published in the Canadian medical journal, The Lancet, reveal a number of problems associated with taking Viagra for hypertension.1 The researchers analyzed data from 17 randomized trials that tested the efficiency of Viagra in 12,064 patients with hypertension.1 They found that those who took Viagra had a higher risk of:
- heart attack
- myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- stroke
- death from a heart attack or stroke
- heart failure
- angina pectoris (heart disease)
- aortic aneurysm (a type of vascular disease)
- kidney dysfunction
- and liver problems
Where Do We Go From Here?
So, if you’re one of the millions of men who use Viagra, what do you do now? Unfortunately, there’s no ‘magical cure’ for hypertension as there is for erectile dysfunction. But that doesn’t mean that you have to give up. There are still a few things you can do to manage your condition and get the most out of your medication. Here are some suggestions from experts: