Viagra can treat pulmonary hypertension
July 28, 2007

Viagra is being used to treat not only erectile dysfunction, but also pulmonary hypertension, according to a U.S. researcher.

The drug may have potential for treating several other conditions such as mountain sickness and Raynaud's phenomenon, reports the August issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch.

Viagra is now marketed under the name Revatio for pulmonary hypertension -- an uncommon but serious disorder of high pressure in the blood vessels leading to the lungs, the newsletter said.

Viagra can reduce pulmonary artery pressure at high altitude and improve the ability to exercise in low oxygen conditions.

The three erectile dysfunction medications currently on the market -- Viagra, Levitra and Cialis -- all work by the same means, and they have similar side effects. The most common are headaches and facial flushing, which occur in 15 percent of men, as well as nasal congestion, indigestion and back pain, but these side effects are often mild and temporary, the newsletter said.