Latest news with #DrLikunWu
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Erectile dysfunction drug Viagra has surprise new health benefit, scientists find - offering new hope to 3million ageing Britons
A surprising new health benefit has emerged from the sex drug Viagra - which means three million ageing Britons can now also enjoy a harder skull. The little blue tablet was found to increase the production of vital bone cells, preventing back pain and fractures in old age. Sildenafil - also known as Viagra - can help human stem cells transform into osteoblasts which help the human skeleton regenerate as it is completely replaced roughly once every 10 years. As humans get older, they lose more bone than is built, increasing the risk of breaks or osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle and painful. Follow-up tests on mice by Peking University also suggested a prevention of bone loss. Dr Menglong Hu and Dr Likun Wu told MailOnline: 'Our findings offer new insights into the physiological effects of the medicine. 'Sildenafil enhanced stem cell osteogenic differentiation and inhibited bone loss — it may usefully treat osteoporosis.' Viagra was invented as a heart drug in the 1980s before being found to help with erectile dysfunction. Some studies suggest it may also help reduce the risk of dementia. However, the have been cautions over the years that the drug could have some negative side effects, in particular if taken too much. A large quantity of the drug could result in a painful, 'uncomfortably and disproportionately large erection' called a priapism which could go on for hours. Some experts also found regularly taking the common drug may raise the risk of three serious eye conditions. Common side effects may include headaches, hot flushes, nausea, indigestion, dizziness and a stuffy nose. Nearly half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from erectile dysfunction in the UK - this is more than 4.5 million people. Though, reports suggest Viagra is now even becoming increasingly popular with younger individuals in their 20s and 30s. Last year, it emerged Viagra may help prevent dementia by boosting blood flow in the brain. 'This is the first trial to show that sildenafil gets into the blood vessels in the brain in people with this condition, improving blood flow and how responsive these blood vessels are,'Dr Alastair Webb, a neurologist and study author at Oxford University said.
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Sex drug Viagra has surprising new health benefit and could help 3 million ageing Brits, say scientists
SEX aid pill Viagra helps stiffen your skeleton, a study suggests. The little blue tablet was found to increase production of vital bone cells — so could one day prevent back pain and fractures in old age. Researchers found sildenafil, which is branded as Viagra, helped human stem cells transform into osteoblasts, the bone-building cells. These are vital as the human skeleton regenerates and is completely replaced roughly once every ten years. As we age, we lose more bone than we build, increasing the risk of breaks or osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle and painful. The Peking University team's follow-up tests on mice also suggested sildenafil would prevent bone loss. Dr Menglong Hu and Dr Likun Wu said: 'Our findings offer new insights into the physiological effects of the medicine. 'Sildenafil enhanced stem cell osteogenic differentiation and inhibited bone loss — it may usefully treat osteoporosis.' More than three million Britons suffer osteoporosis. Other treatments exist but the researchers said it would be handy to have more cheap and readily available drugs. They said: 'Any new drug must be evaluated. This is time-consuming, expensive and risky. But sildenafil is approved and safe.' Viagra was invented as a heart drug in the 1980s before it was found to help with erectile dysfunction. Studies have since suggested it might also reduce dementia risk. Why You Should Think Twice Before Popping Viagra Just For Fun (1)
