Males Over 50 Are At Increased Danger Of This Harmful Viagra Facet Impact

Viagra (sildenafil) was found considerably accidentally within the late Nineteen Eighties when researchers have been on the lookout for a strategy to deal with angina. The drug did effectively in opening up blood vessels, however one of many uncomfortable side effects was that males would get erections. The researchers then directed their research towards how the drug opened up blood vessels within the penis (per Cosmos).

As much as 30 million males in america expertise erectile dysfunction, based on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being. Though there isn’t any easy remedy for erectile dysfunction, Viagra may help deal with this situation. 

Like many medicine, Viagra has uncomfortable side effects corresponding to complications, nasal congestion, low blood stress, or upset abdomen. Males over 50 who take Viagra are additionally at the next danger for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which is a uncommon situation the place blood movement is restricted to your optic nerve. This can be a sort of eye stroke the place you lose your imaginative and prescient. Should you’re taking Viagra and expertise a lack of imaginative and prescient in a single or each eyes, see a physician instantly. Except for being older, different danger components may result in NAION. 

Medical researchers aren’t positive what causes NAION, however folks with heart problems usually tend to develop this situation, based on Penn Drugs. You are additionally at the next danger in case you have sort 2 diabetes, excessive ldl cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnea. The optic nerve may lose blood movement in case your blood stress falls whilst you sleep. Typically NAION will come with out warning, with folks waking up with imaginative and prescient loss in a single eye. NAION may additionally obscure your imaginative and prescient, the place a shadow, lack of distinction, or mild sensitivity may happen.

Viagra belongs to a category of phosphodiesterase sort 5 (PDE5) inhibitors that additionally embody tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil. Whereas these medicine improve blood movement to sure areas of the physique, the optic nerve may see decreased blood movement. In line with a 2022 research in Cureus, folks taking Viagra may expertise NAION as quickly as an hour after taking the drug. Case research present that NAION occurred in males over 50 who took Viagra, however one man who took udenafil (a PDE5 drug utilized in Korea) additionally skilled NAION. Nonetheless, medicine to deal with erectile dysfunction aren’t the one medicines which are linked to NAION.

NAION happens in 2 to 10 out of each 100,000 folks, making it the second main reason for blindness from optic nerve harm, subsequent to glaucoma. That is about 0.01%. 

Different medicine may additionally improve your danger of this situation. Folks with weight problems and sort 2 diabetes are prescribed semaglutide, which is the principle ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. In line with a 2024 research in JAMA Ophthalmology, NAION might be linked to semaglutide. The research in contrast greater than 16,000 individuals who took both semaglutide or a special medicine to deal with weight problems or sort 2 diabetes. Amongst folks with sort 2 diabetes who took semaglutide, 8.9% of them would expertise NAION inside three years. Those that took semaglutide have been 4 occasions extra more likely to develop NAION in comparison with the opposite diabetes medicines. NAION developed in 6.7% of individuals taking semaglutide for weight problems. Individuals who took semaglutide to handle their weight problems have been 7.5 occasions extra more likely to develop NAION than in the event that they took different weight-loss medicines.