The drug sildenafil, popularly known by the trade name Viagra, is used to combat erectile dysfunction, but it could be very useful to prevent or treat vascular dementia, since a new trial carried out by experts at the University of Oxford has revealed that it improves cerebral blood flow and the function of blood vessels in the brain in patients at highest risk of suffering from this disabling pathology, which constitutes a potentially key step in the fight against this disease.
“This is the first trial to show that sildenafil penetrates the blood vessels of the brain in people with this condition, improving blood flow and the responsiveness of these vessels. These two key factors are associated with chronic damage to the small blood vessels in the brain, which is the most common cause of vascular dementia. This shows the potential of this well-tolerated and widely available medicine to prevent dementia, which needs to be tested in larger trials,” said Dr Alastair Webb. , associate professor at the Wolfson Center for Stroke and Dementia Prevention at the University of Oxford.
A drug that acts against the main causes of vascular dementia
Chronic damage to the small blood vessels in the brain is not only the leading cause of vascular dementia, but also contributes to 30% of strokes and 80% of brain hemorrhages. High blood pressure, reduced blood flow to the brain, and impaired blood vessel function aggravate these conditions. Therefore, the importance of this research lies in its potential to transform the treatment and prevention of vascular dementia, for which no specific therapies are currently available. Their results have been published in Circulation Research.
Among the most important findings are:
- Sildenafil increased blood flow in the large and small vessels of the brain, as measured by ultrasound and MRI scans.
- Sildenafil improved the blood flow response to carbon dioxide, indicating improved cerebrovascular function.
- Both sildenafil and cilostazol reduced the resistance of blood vessels in the brain.
- Sildenafil caused fewer side effects compared to cilostazol, especially less incidence of diarrhea.
Looking ahead, next steps involve larger-scale trials to confirm these findings and explore the potential of sildenafil to prevent vascular dementia on a broader scale.
