Pfizer is a trending topic once again, and surprisingly, not because of the COVID vaccine. Scientists have discovered that one of the pharmaceutical company’s drugs, Viagra, could be a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Every family who has loved ones suffering from the illness is in high hopes that this discovery would lead to potential cures and treatment for the disease sooner.
Alzheimer’s Disease in the US
Based on the U.S. census, roughly 1 out of 9 Americans aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. This translates to more than 6 million Americans all over the world. More than a hundred million people in the world suffer from the disease. Some studies show the disease is genetically inherited. There are instances that an individual can inherit a rare gene that will surely cause Alzheimer’s. However, there are also chances that they inherit risk genes, but does not guarantee safety from the illness. Scientists still have not discovered the exact cause of the illness making prevention a difficult feat.
There are existing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, but there has never been a cure. Developing a drug that could treat and prevent the disease can take decades to be completed. This discovers Viagra as a possible prevention and treatment drug incredible for everyone.
How did they discover the correlation between Viagra and Alzheimer’s?
Developing a drug that would improve a person’s chances against Alzheimer’s is a grueling process. Because of this, scientists have shortlisted hundreds of drugs with existing FDA approval and studied its effects on patients with Alzheimer’s and patients with a high risk of developing symptoms. This is so they could repurpose an existing drug and perhaps speed up the drug discovery process. Based on the study, Sildenafil (or Viagra) seems to be the best candidate.
Some words of caution
Unfortunately, the likelihood of patients using Viagra as a treatment is still a long shot into the future. Scientists that performed the study did say that they have not proved that Viagra is solely responsible for reducing risks for dementia in their sample population. They also claimed that to prove that, they must perform large-scale clinical trials.
Even though scientists have discovered that there is a possibility that Viagra could treat Alzheimer’s or possibly reduce the risk of the disease, it does not mean that anyone should be self-medicating. If you have a family member suffering from the illness or you are high-risk for Alzheimer’s, it would be best to talk to your physician about any treatment and treatment solutions you want to try.
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