Thoughts on low dose sildenafil for health and longevity?

Haven’t seen any commentary on here thus far about using low dose Viagra for cardioprotective (and geroprotective) benefits. Does anyone have any insight into whether this is worth exploring?

I note Alex Zhavoronkov seems to take it and has commented elsewhere that its his favourite mechanism of action of any drug.

He had a Forbes article about it a few months ago:

" But in recent years, after millions of people took Viagra, and other popular drugs in the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors such as Cialis and Levitra, and doctors and statisticians started noticing its long-term very positive side effects. In 2014, a meta analysis of the many showed cardioprotective effects of PDE5 inhibitors. In 2018, Cialis improved cardiovascular and overactive bladder in heart failure rats, and in 2019, it was shown to reverse signs of heart failure in sheep. In 2021, a study out of Karolinska Institute in Sweden showed that PDE5 inhibitors may extend life in men with coronary artery disease. And at the end of 2021, a group at Cleveland Clinic analyzed the insurance claims for more than 7 million Americans and found that people on Viagra were almost 70% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than people who were not on the drug."

“Just looking at the data, I predict that with time PDE5 inhibitors will one day take their rightful place among the other longevity physicians’ arsenal of geroprotectors including rapalogs, metabolic regulators, antifibrotics, cardiovascular and other classes of drugs. At the very least, PDE5 inhibitors provide a form of indirect cardiovascular exercise and may enable physical activity that would otherwise be impossible.”

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Interesting. Do you have any idea what dose Zhavoronkov is taking, and how often?

Most studies you are citing include only males, I’d assume - besides the rodent/sheep studies perhaps. So do we know if it may have similar effects in females?

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Its definitely interesting. Here was one long discussion thread from earlier: Large Study Finds Viagra Is Linked to Almost 70% Lower Risk of Alzheimer's

and

Also, as a class of medications it seems to be one of the most used “longevity medications” by our community members here, see the survey results below: Rapamycin User Survey #2 - Please Respond

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Found Alex’s previous tweet here (w/ Blagosklonny cameo)

Looks like he’s taking cialis now instead, 5 mg.

Looks like he takes it twice a week from this tweet here:

half life is 36 hrs roughly, i think.

No idea about benefits for females; females are notoriously underused in animal studies so would have to check paper by paper is my guess.

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Very interesting; thanks for the links!

Thanks so much Garrett. Will want to look into the papers also indeed.

Yes - we try to be a rigorously scientific / clinical study focused site just because that tends to be the best data on which to base decisions (in my opinion).

“natural” or complex mixtures of many nutritional foods etc. rarely have good controlled clinical studies (randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled studies) so the data is much less conclusive in terms of efficacy. They tend to be “associative” without clear causality linkages.

Also - the more “natural” you get (e.g. berberine, willow bark, etc.) typically there are fewer good clinical studies, and additionally, because there are typically many different molecules involved, the drugs are much “dirtier” in terms of impacting many different possible targets and pathways in the body; so greater risk of side effects and unintended consequences.

At the same time, of course pharmaceuticals and clinical studies from corporate pharma are far from perfect with many biases, obfuscations and excessive “marketing” around results, and hidden or unreported negative outcomes and side effects.

We live in a very imperfect world, but I think generally the clinical study data (over time) tends to be better on single, small molecule drugs. And of course, this tendency will vary by specific compound or drug and its length of time on the market, etc.

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Many people love to jump on the “natural” bandwagon even though there are not many rigorous studies to back it up.

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I noticed several years ago that the doctor leading AgelessRX prescribed tadalafil (generic Cialis) for it’s anti-aging effects.
So two years ago I started taking 5mg tadalafil each morning (from India not from AgelessRX).

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As mentioned earlier my urologist told me viagra-cialis is healthy for you once 60 years old to have 5mg a day. So he put me on it. Amazing!!

Some reseach says viagra-cialis prevents dementia… now maybe not. Link: NIH DREAM study finds Viagra and Cialis do not reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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IMO: Homeopathy has been completely discredited many times.
“How has life expectancy changed from 1900 to 2000?
But increases in life expectancy at older ages were also dramatic: 15-year-olds in 1900 could expect to live 46.8 more years, whereas their counterparts in 2000 could expect to live 62.6 more years, an increase of almost 16 years.”
So no, things aren’t getting worse.

“1,800 Studies Later, Scientists Conclude Homeopathy Doesn’t Work”

“A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos (dummy treatments)”

“Clinical trials have been conducted and generally demonstrated no objective effect from homeopathic preparations. The fundamental implausibility of homeopathy as well as a lack of demonstrable effectiveness has led to it being characterized within the scientific and medical communities as quackery and fraud.”

Homeopathy - Wikipedia.

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Yes, rhinoceros horns, monkey balls, etc still being used in “natural” supplements to the detriment of us all.
If you want to believe all of the “natural” junk science, be my guest.

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I think low dose Cialis is superior to Viagra because of its more extended effect. Dr. Alan Green prescribed this for me together with Rapamycin after explaining the benefits. I was unaware until he brought it to my attention.

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True, but I think healthspan and quality of life has improved substantially for today’s humans. Just cataract surgery and hearing aids are a huge improvement to quality of life.

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Can you speak of any noticeable positive effects? and what is your take on the better choice Viagra or Cialis for wellbeing and longevity only (not the other stuff)?
Thanks,
p.s @Agetron and anyone else can chime in. thanks,

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My partner and I both take 5MG Cialis daily for overall health and fitness.

I’ve noticed a negligible decrease in my BP however have noticed a substantial increase in my overall recovery after weight training and ability to complete more sets with added reps. Combine that with the incredible increase in erection strength and ability to get ‘going’ at a slight breeze its pretty fantastic.

Downsides are acid reflux, however I take a PPI to combat that.

There are some correlation between eye vasculitis and overall eye health with use of PDE5 but I’m not convinced that the risks can’t be averted through dosage changes and routine eye exams.

Viagra was rife with side effects for me; hypotension, occular migraines, dry mouth, headaches.

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Thanks for your very informative reply. I will give Cialis a try.

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This is a fantastic study on low-dose Tadalafil (Cialis) on overall health.

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Hello SNK…
My urologist put me on 5 mg tadalafil daily over 2 years ago for urinary health. It is the generic cialis.

I tried viagra for a bit… headaches, flushed face, bloody nose and blood shot eyes. None of these with tadalafil.

Works fantastic, no side effects (well maybe one big one… to be expected… lol). Good blood pressure numbers 120 over 76. Great urine flow. Excellent mood 24 hours a day. I have improved memory… off the charts… maybe the combination rapamycin and tadalafil?

All very good.

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Thanks @Agetron for the feedback. Great results, sounds like something I must try.

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