University of Manchester scientists discovered a Viagra-like drug that treats erectile dysfunction can reverse the heart failure in sheep.
Tadalafil, a drug that belongs to the same class as Viagra, has been proven to be an effective biological treatment for heart failure in sheep.
The findings of the team was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Team leader Professor Andrew Trafford believes that the drug will have the same effect on humans.
Heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart no longer can pump enough blood to the body. It results to fluid build-up in the lungs that can cause a person to be breathless and to retain fluids that makes the body to swell in different parts.
A majority of heart failure treatments currently are ineffective.
"This discovery is an important advance in a devastating condition which causes misery for thousands of people across the UK and beyond," said Professor Trafford.
"We do have limited evidence from human trials and epidemiological studies that show Tadalafil can be effective in treating heart failure. This study provides further confirmation, adds mechanistic details and demonstrates that Tadalafil could now be a possible therapy for heart failure. It's entirely possible that some patients taking it for erectile dysfunction have also unwittingly enjoyed a protective effect on their heart."
Sheep were used by the team as the physiology their hearts is similar to human hearts," said Trafford.
The drug showed was able to reverse the effects of heart failure in sheep when the team administered the drug to animals that had pacemaker-induced heart failure.
There was a complete reversal of the biological cause of breathlessness in heart failure. There is a similar do the sheep have received when humans are treated with erectile dysfunction.
Tadalafil blocks an enzyme called Phosphodiesterase 5 or PDE5S for short, which regulates how our tissue responds to hormones like adrenaline. The drug changed a series of chemical reactions during heart failure. This allows the heart to be able to respond to adrenaline.
"This is a widely used and very safe drug with minimal side effects," emphasized Trafford.
"However we would not advise the public to treat themselves with the drug and should always speak to their doctor if they have any concerns or questions."
"Tadalafil is only suitable as a treatment for systolic heart failure - when the heart is not able to pump properly - and there may be interactions with other drugs patients are taking."
Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said, "Viagra-type drugs were initially developed as potential treatments for heart disease before they were found to have unexpected benefits in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. We seem to have gone full-circle, with findings from recent studies suggesting that they may be effective in the treatment of some forms of heart disease - in this case, heart failure."
"We need safe and effective new treatments for heart failure, which is a cruel and debilitating condition that affects almost a million people in the UK. The evidence from this study - that a Viagra-like drug could reverse heart failure - should encourage further research in humans to determine if such drugs may help to save and improve lives."
