Viagra Could Be a Potent Weapon Against Alzheimer’s Disease [Video]

New research is the latest to suggest that sildenafil—the active ingredient in popular erectile dysfunction drug Viagra—might help fend off Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that people taking sildenafil were noticeably less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than similar patients not taking it. The results do not yet prove that the little blue pill is effective against the neurological disorder, however, and clinical trials will be needed to know for sure, the researchers say.

The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, was led by scientists from the Cleveland Clinic. In 2021, the same team published a paper finding evidence in the lab and from insurance claims data that sildenafil could prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s in older people—perhaps reducing risk by as much as 69%. Some researchers have questionedwhether the study’s design was truly able to show a clear link between reduced Alzheimer’s and sildenafil use, however. The very next …