Salon.com News | Doctors study Viagra as stroke treatment

Salon.com News | Doctors study Viagra as stroke treatment: "Doctors study Viagra as stroke treatment

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Feb. 18, 2005 | Detroit -- Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital here have begun studying Viagra as a possible treatment for strokes. Animal tests have indicated the sexual performance drug used by millions of men can improve memory and movement by helping injured brains develop new cells and blood vessels, researchers said.

The study will focus on Viagra's effect on people who have suffered ischemic strokes, which are caused by blocked arteries. Nearly 90 percent of the 700,000 strokes that occur yearly in the United States are ischemic, and they often cause long-term disability and death.

The Ford Hospital study is a so-called phase one study, the earliest stage of research, to determine whether Viagra is safe. The study will enroll 84 patients ages 18 to 80 with mild-to-moderate complications in the first three days of a stroke over the next three months.

Seven groups of patients will get doses of Viagra ranging from 25 milligrams to 150 milligrams, depending on how well patients tolerate the drug. A typical dose of Viagra for sexual activity is 50 milligrams."