Treating Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension In Children With Viagra

After revolutionizing the treatment of male impotence latest research shows that Viagra (sildenafil) may also help children with a fatal lung disease walk further and breathe easier. Children diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) a condition in which blood pressure is extremely high in the arteries that supply the lungs, leads to narrowing of the lung’s small blood vessels and if left untreated, could eventually lead to death of the child within a year of diagnosis.

Viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction works by relaxing the smooth muscle of blood vessels, expanding the blood vessels, and increasing blood flow. Thus researchers say the same effects could help treat pulmonary arterial hypertension because expanding the blood vessels would prevent them from narrowing and as a result improve symptoms.

In a recent study researchers studied around 14 children with PAH who had taken Viagra for one year. It was observed that the children could breathe easier after 12 months and the average distance they could walk in six minutes also increased by 154 meters. Researchers also say that there were minimal side effects and that the drug was easy to consume.

Thus with the positive findings of the above study researchers suggest the need for further research on the effects of the drug Viagra in treating children with PAH.