Sildenafil found to alleviate heart problems

Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, can alleviate heart problems, it has been revealed in a recent report by Bochum's researchers.

The drug has been found to activate an enzyme that causes the giant protein titin in the myocardial cells to relax, making stiffened cardiac walls more elastic again.

The study, in cooperation with scientists from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester US, examined dogs that suffered from diastolic heart failure, a condition in which the heart chamber does not sufficiently fill with blood.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Linke of the RUB Institute of Physiology commented: “We have developed a therapy in an animal model that, for the first time, also raises hopes for the successful treatment of patients.”

It is widely believed that heart failure drugs currently are not sufficient.

Half of patients aged over 60 in hospital because of a weak heart suffer from diastolic heart failure. Although doctors know the cause, the disease cannot be treated properly with today's medicines. If this new treatment proves successful, "we would already have a molecular mechanism on hand to explain the effect", commented Linke.