Viagra could do more than advertised as study reveals surprising health superpower

Viagra could do more than give men a boost in the bedroom, as new research suggests it may have benefits for cancer patients.The prescription medication, which is manufactured and distributed by Viatris, is commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow during sexual stimulation.It was originally developed to treat high blood pressure and chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart before researchers discovered its unexpected effect on erectile function during clinical trials.PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE SHOWS PROMISE IN FIRST HUMAN TRIAL, PREVENTING DISEASE IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTSA new study published by the American Association for Cancer Research found that the pill may have properties that can prevent cancer from spreading.Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, led by Dr.Yarden Ariav in the lab of Professor Ayelet Erez, found that Viagra’s active ingredient — sildenafil, a PDE5 inhibitor — may restrict cancer metastasis, or the formation of new tumors.Viagra’s active ingredient, sildenafil, may restrict cancer cells from spreading, a new study suggests.

The team, which included scientists at the U.S.National Cancer Institute, analyzed human and mouse cancer cells, genetic experiments and 20 years of health data from five million members of Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest nonprofit healthcare provider and health insurer.

They also examined how genes, proteins, fats, cholesterol and cellular energy interact.The analysis revealed that sildenafil limits the cancer cell’s ability to make use of cholesterol, which is an important mechanism in how the cell breaks away from the primary tumor and migrates throughout the body, according to a press release from the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERSildenafil was found to block an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5, or PDE5, and increase the signaling molecule called cGMP, which dila...