Viagra may help children suffering from pulmonary arterial hypertension

In a small pilot study Viagra was administered for one year to 14 children with pulmonary arterial hypertension, aged five to18 years old.

Results showed an increase in exercise capacity and improved breathing among patients. After 12 months, the average distance walked in six minutes was increased by 154 meters (508 feet). As well, resistance in the pulmonary arteries dropped by about 20 per cent, allowing the children to breathe easier.

"Viagra compares favorably to other drugs used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, with the added benefit of improving symptoms among patients, including increased mobility and improved breathing," said the study's lead author Dr. Tilman Humpl, head of the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic and critical care cardiologist at Sick Kids and an assistant professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

"Viagra has far fewer side effects than other treatments and is less of a burden on a child trying to manage with this difficult and complex condition."

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