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Researchers at the University of Manchester discovered that a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction slowed down or even reversed the progression of heart failure in sheep.
The study funded by the British Heart Foundation is a breakthrough in the treatment of the disease in which five-year survival rates are lower than those of the most common cancers.
The study of tadalafil – which belongs to the same clbad as viagra – proves that the drug is biologically effective as a treatment for heart failure in sheep.
However, the lead author, Professor Andrew Trafford, argues that this effect should also manifest in humans. The study is published in the journal Scientific reports.
Heart failure is a devastating condition that occurs when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body.
It also causes an accumulation of fluid that accumulates in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and fluid retention, resulting in swelling of different parts of the body.
Most current treatments are ineffective.
"This discovery is a significant advance in a devastating situation that is causing the misery of thousands of people across the UK and beyond," said Professor Trafford.
"We have limited data from human trials and epidemiological studies that demonstrate that Tadalafil may be effective in the treatment of heart failure.
"This study provides further confirmation, adds mechanistic details and demonstrates that tadalafil could now be a possible treatment for heart failure.
"It is quite possible that some patients who take it for erectile dysfunction have also unintentionally benefited from a protective effect on their heart."
The sheep were used by the team because the physiology of their hearts is similar to that of human hearts.
The team administered the drug when the heart failure of the animals was sufficiently advanced for the treatment to be necessary because of the pacemakers. In a short time, the progressive worsening of heart failure was halted and, importantly, the drug reversed the effects of heart failure.
And the biological cause of shortness of breath in heart failure – the inability of the heart to react to adrenaline was almost completely reversed.
The dose received by the sheep was similar to the dose that the man received when it is treated for erectile dysfunction.
Tadalafil blocks an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 or PDE5S, which regulates how our tissues respond to hormones such as adrenaline.
The research team discovered that in case of heart failure, the drug altered the signaling cascade – a series of chemical reactions in the body – in order to restore the heart's ability to respond to the disease. # 39; adrenaline.
And this increases the heart's ability to force blood around the body as you work harder.
Professor Trafford added: "It is a widely used and very safe medication with minimal side effects.
"However, we would not advise the public to treat themselves and we should always talk to their doctor if they have any concerns or questions.
"Tadalafil is only suitable for the treatment of systolic heart failure – when the heart can not pump properly – and that there may be interactions with other medications that patients take. "
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:
"Viagra-like drugs have been initially developed as potential treatments for heart disease before revealing their unexpected benefits in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.We seem to have made a full turn, recent study results suggesting that They could be effective treatment of some forms of heart disease – in this case, heart failure.
"We need new safe and effective treatments for heart failure, a cruel and debilitating disease that affects nearly one million people in the UK." The proof of this study – which one Viagra-like drug could reverse heart failure – should encourage further research in humans to determine if such drugs can help save and improve lives. "
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