The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7185 p197-203
16 February 2002

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Journal of the American Medical Association (jama.ama-assn.org)

Cardiovascular effects of sildenafil similar to placebo during exercise

Sildenafil (Viagra) does not affect the onset, extent or severity of ischaemia in men with known or probable coronary artery disease during exercise, a study suggests.

Researchers randomly assigned 105 men who had erectile dysfunction and known or probable coronary heart disease to receive sildenafil 50mg or placebo one hour before taking part in an exercise test. The researchers comment that there has been concern regarding the safety of sildenafil in patients with ischaemic heart disease. However, their findings show that exercise is no more likely to induce ischaemia after taking sildenafil than after taking placebo. The extent and severity of ischaemia and the heart rate at which it developed were also similar.

The researchers add that patients with coronary heart disease should have an individual assessment before sildenafil is prescribed. "Further research will be needed, though, to clarify what levels of functional capacity and severity of ischaemia can be considered safe for men with coronary disease who wish to use sildenafil," they conclude (JAMA 2002;287:719).