Has Longevity finally got a lift?
We obviously don’t have to go into the well-publicised health benefits that Viagra and Cialis are renowned for. However, a new area and potential health benefit currently being studied within the anti-ageing community is whether these drugs can actually improve our longevity.
Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) have already been shown to improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, and help alleviate erectile dysfunction. But they may also help us to slow the sands of time and improve our chances of living a long and fruitful life, and in more ways than one!
At the start of 2023, 240 mice started consuming food mixed with Viagra (sildenafil). The aim is to understand and evaluate whether certain compounds can extend the lifespan of mice, with the goal of determining if they could do the same for humans.
These mice are the latest participants in the Interventions Testing Program (ITP), a 22-year-old initiative funded and operated by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Simplistically, if we can improve circulation via these types of drugs, enhancing the flow of oxygen, water, and nutrients around the body, then surely that can only be a good thing?
Viagra and Cialis target specific genes. They primarily act on the PDE5A gene to inhibit the PDE5 enzyme, leading to smooth muscle relaxation and improved blood flow.
They may also indirectly affect the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) the hormonal system that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance, and genes such as AGT, ACE, AGTR1, and eNOS3.
This effect can improve circulation, reduce hypertension and the risk of stroke, and potentially enhance immune function and energy levels well into older age.
