Viagra and Cialis are usually used by men with impotency, you know, unable to get it up. But what if these drugs can be used for so much more? Well, according to the scientists in the United States, both Viagra and Cialis could be used to treat a muscle-wasting disorder in boys.
In recent tests, the drugs helped to increase blood flow to the muscle in boys that are suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The idea is that the drugs could slow the spread of the disease, which causes the breakdown of muscle fibers.
According to experts close to the study, the drugs could be beneficial, but might not be able to allow infected boys to walk.
"Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have a blood flow abnormality - delivery of blood and oxygen to their muscles - that does not increase the way it should during mild exercise," said lead researcher Dr. Ronald Victor, the associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.
DMD is dangerous, but one should bear in mind that it only affects one in every 3,500 boys. However, this does not make it any less important for scientists to do their very best to find a way to treat or cure the disease. Interestingly enough, many boys with DMD will die before reaching the age of 30, this usually happens when the muscles that are needed to breathe and pump blood around the body are affected.
At the moment, many boys affected with the disease are forced to use a wheelchair early in their life, usually at the age of 10. Furthermore, there's not yet an effective treatment for DMD, so if Viagra and Cialis are capable of treating the disease, then we welcome it with open arms.
During the tests, there were some embarrassments, but this was expected due to the type of drugs being used. If scientists are planning to make Viagra and Cialis a future treatment of DMD, then they would have to make sure infected boys do not end up with an erection, or it could deter them from wanting to take the drugs again.
