A new study is the first to examine the association between the use of erectile dysfunction (ED) medications and cardiovascular health in a large group of low-risk men with ED. Researchers analyzed the health records of more than 70,000 men with ED, and found that those taking Viagra, Cialis or another PDE-5i drug to treat their condition experienced lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including lower rates of heart failure and death due to heart disease, than those who did not take these medications. The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, also found that men taking PDE-5i drugs experienced:

• 39% lower rate of death due to heart disease

• 22% lower rate of unstable angina

• 17% lower rate of MACE

• 25% lower rate of death by any cause.

The principal investigator was Dr. Robert A. Kloner, chief science officer and scientific director of cardiovascular health at Huntington Medical Research Institutes in Pasadena. He and his team also found that the overall reduction in cardiac events was observed in men who had risk factors for cardiovascular, disease including diabetes.

According to Healthline, previous research from Sweden found that Viagra can significantly reduce the risk of a second heart attack and increase the lifespan in men already diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Experts say that PDE-5i drugs work by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase to increase blood flow. This increased blood flow may also be responsible for the beneficial effect on cardiovascular events.