A study suggests that men taking drugs for erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra, may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease.
In research involving over 260,000 men, those taking these drugs were found to be 18% less likely to develop the dementia-causing condition.
However, more research is needed to establish a causal relationship.
Lead author Dr Ruth Brauer stated, "More research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs and look into the optimal dosage."
The study adjusted for various factors, but it does not conclusively prove that these drugs reduce Alzheimer's risk, suggesting further investigation is necessary.
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, from the University of Edinburgh, and president of the British Neuroscience Association, commented, "This study does not conclusively prove that erectile dysfunction drugs reduce Alzheimer's risk but provides good evidence that this type of drug is worth further study in the future."
Dr Francesco Tamagnini, neurophysiologist at the University of Reading, acknowledged it as a "great study" but emphasized the need for more evidence on how the drug affects the brain.
He noted, "It could be that it exerts a therapeutic effect directly affecting neurons (if the drug is able to cross the blood-brain barrier) and/or by increasing blood flow, but both these hypotheses need to be tested."
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