メディエイゴ

Erectile dysfunction(1) drugs may be better than nitroglycerin(2) in protecting the heart from damage before and after a severe heart attack(3), Virginia Commonwealth University researchers report today.

During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of(4) oxygen(5), which can result in(6) significant(7) damage to heart muscle and tissue(8). After the attack, most patients require treatment to reduce and repair the damage and improve their chances of survival(9). With the exception of(10) early reperfusion(11), there are no available therapies that are truly effective in protecting or repairing such damage clinically(12).

Rakesh C. Kukreja, Ph.D., professor of medicine and Eric Lipman Chair of Cardiology(13) at VCU, and colleagues(14) compared nitroglycerin with two erectile dysfunction drugs -- Viagra®(15) generically known as(16) sildenafil(17), and Levitra®(18) generically known as vardenafil(19) -- to determine the effectiveness of each for heart protection(20) following a heart attack. Nitroglycerin is a drug used to treat angina(21), or chest pain(22). It is a vasodilator(23) and opens blood vessels(24) in order to improve the flow of blood to a patient's heart.

The research team reported that in an animal model, sildenafil and vardenafil reduce damage in the heart muscle when given after a severe heart attack. In contrast(25), nitroglycerin failed to reduce the damage in the heart when administered under similar conditions(26). The findings were published in the February issue of the Journal of Molecular(27) and Cellular(28) Cardiology, the official publication of the International Society for Heart Research.