As arousing as it may sound, a new study has found that Viagra, the erectile dysfunction drug, could possibly cure blindness.
According to a report by Columbia University in New York, Viagra is said to have the potential to “stop further loss of vision for patients” and that it could even repair the damage that’s already been done. The report is based on the research carried out for two years by scientists at Columbia University. The research suggested that the drug slows down age-related muscular degeneration (AMD).
Five elderly patients who took part in the experiment had AMD and were given the drug for two years. The dosage was one pill a day. Ophthalmologica published the result of the study and it reportedly “showed that the drug improved vision for one participant and completely halted deterioration for the others.” Viagra isn’t the only drug to show signs of slowing the attack of AMD. Other treatments are not as convenient as Viagra as they have to be injected in the macula every 30 days.
AMD is said to be one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. AMD has two types, wet and dry. The wet type is said to act fast, it can cause loss of eyesight in just under 90 days.
The dry type, that is said to be the most common with about 90 percent of cases involving this form can take many years and usually affects people aged 50 or above. The condition occurs when fresh blood vessels grow over the back of the eye called macula. Macula helps us in determining details of what we see and is a small oval shaped pigmented area that is a part of the retina.
After the vessels grow on the macula, they start leaking — and that in turn creates a scar tissue that tends to layer over the oval-shaped part of the eye. This causes one to lose clear vision in the center of the eye. This condition usually makes it difficult to clearly see faces, or do everyday activities like reading or watching television.
The study suggests that Viagra can improve the circulation of blood to this tissue and offers significant potential for vision retention and recovery. It is notable that patients remained visually stable and there was a significant improvement in vision in one participant.
Professor Sobha Sivaprasad from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists said that although the results of the study are pretty promising, she still felt that the scale is too small.
“We now need bigger studies to replicate these findings before Viagra can be used as a treatment,” she said.
