Here’s what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- What new research shows for Alzheimer’s prevention
- How PDE5Is could help prevent Alzheimer’s
- How PDE5Is work
- What this means for the future of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s remains one of the four horsemen of death, along with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Unlike these other age-related diseases, prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease are few and far between.
But that may soon change after a recent scientific study in Neurology, which suggests that the holy grail of Alzheimer’s prevention may lie in the most unassuming of medications: an ED pill.
What did the study show?
The study concluded that the risk of Alzheimer’s was reduced by as much as 44% in those taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5I), more popularly known as Tadalafil (Cialis) or Sildenafil (Viagra). It also showed that those who did not take these medications maintained an average risk for Alzheimer’s.
The long-term study followed nearly 270,000 men over a span of 18 years who had a newly diagnosed case of erectile dysfunction (ED). Their results were compared to men who were also recently diagnosed with ED, but did not take PDE5Is. None of the participants had a previous history of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive impairment, and none had been prescribed a PDE5I medication before the study.
While those who were prescribed any amount of Tadalafil also showed decreased risk, the best benefits were observed in men who took 20-50 prescriptions of PDE5I. That means that men who took at least 20 Rx bottles per year of prescriptions like Tadalafil got the best benefits. Though doses of PDE5Is may have varied due to the nature of the study, Tadalafil is typically prescribed in daily doses between 2.5mg and 10mg.
Given the magnitude of this study, these results are just as convincing as they are promising. This study reinforces similar findings in animal studies that also suggest improvements to cerebral blood flow, bringing us one step closer to finally confirming a potential prevention strategy for Alzheimer’s in humans.
Would this help women prevent Alzheimer’s?
Medications like Tadalafil work at a cellular level to increase blood flow for both men and women. As such, it is assumed that these medications would also reduce women’s risk of Alzheimer’s, but more research is needed to confirm.
Though PDE5Is like Tadalafil are well known as ED medications for men, they’re also used to treat other conditions in men and women.
Tadalafil is used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and reduce high blood pressure in both men and women. Tadalafil may also help manage diabetes and treat cancer for men and women. With the recent findings of this study, Tadalafil may also be used as a longevity medication soon.
What does this mean for Alzheimer’s?
This finding may reveal a possible cause of Alzheimer’s, in addition to offering a new prevention strategy.
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with amyloid plaques, which clump up along the tissues between our nerve cells. When too much form, amyloid plaques cause synaptic dysfunction and inflammation, which damages our brain.
Healthy brains can clear these clumps, but the brain’s self-cleaning function diminishes with age. Our blood flow also tends to reduce with age, leading some to believe that decreased blood flow may allow amyloid plaques to pile up in the brain.
This study may finally confirm that healthy blood flow is vital to Alzheimer’s prevention. By restoring blood flow with Tadalafil, we could help clear cellular waste in our brain while improving oxygen flow, potentially reducing our risk for Alzheimer’s.
Though more studies are needed (especially in women), this study highlights an exciting new avenue for Alzheimer’s research and longevity.
Scientists will soon be using this as a launch pad for a plethora of new research, including how blood flow affects Alzheimer’s and whether optimizing blood flow could be a viable method for prevention.
In the meantime, the promise for Alzheimer’s prevention is on the horizon, and it’s within reach. Medications like Tadalafil are easily attainable for many Americans, and now, it could be a vital part of your longevity toolkit.
Note: The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.