According to the 2009 Johns Hopkins White papers on Lung Disorders, Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, is being investigated as a possible treatment for people with COPD. Viagra is currently a popular drug for men with erectile dysfunction (ED).
Sildenafil belongs to a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. The medication is effective for ED because it relaxes the blood vessels in the penis, which permits more blood flow, a requirement for producing and maintaining an erection.
Sildenafil also relaxes and widens blood vessels in the lungs, making it easier for the heart to pump blood through them. This lowers high blood pressure in the lungs (a condition known as pulmanary arterial hypertension or PHA), a common problem and important indicator of risk of death in people with COPD.
Researchers are now studying whether sildenafil (sold under the name Revatio for PAH) will improve exercise capacity, quality of life and shortness of breath in people with COPD who do not have PAH. Results from this study are due out later this year.
Scientists are also investigating PDE-4 inhibitors, a class of drugs that are similar to the PDE-5 inhibitors, but have anti-inflammatory effects that could be useful for taming the inflamation of airway diseases like COPD.
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