–October 5 , 2006
A new study shows that Viagra (sildenafil), when taken at bedtime, may exacerbate breathing troubles in men with severe sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition marked by brief, intermittent moments of stopped breathing caused by an obstructed airway during sleep. Men with severe obstructive sleep apnea often experience erectile dysfunction, or impotence.
Researchers at Federal University in Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently conducted a study on the effects of Viagra in men with this condition. Fourteen men with an average age of 53.1 were given either a 50-mg dose of Viagra or a placebo.
On the second night of the study, the subjects switched treatments. According to the findings, patients who received Viagra experienced more frequent and longer episodes of stopped breathing.
The findings also showed that Viagra altered sleep structure, increasing the amount of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and decreasing the amount of deep sleep.
Sildenafil should be used with caution for treating erectile dysfunction in individuals with a sleep-related breathing disorder, said the study, which is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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