Cialis is an erectile dysfunction drug. Could it also help you live longer?

bbrandonb about 3 hours ago 43 commentsRead Article on npr.org

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woliveirajr•about 2 hours ago

Sildenafil [0] was synthesized to treat high blood pressure. Erectile disfunction was a side effect that raised much more interest.

Tadalafil [1] followed the path of Sildenafil about the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) enzyme inhibitor.

Help to live longer was the main objective since the beginning.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sildenafil#History [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadalafil#History

joezydeco•about 2 hours ago

I invested heavily in ICOS when they launched, they had Bill Gates money and were looking for ways to extend lifespans and solve inflammation.

And all we got was another boner pill.

giantg2•about 1 hour ago

Quanity and/or quality of sex shows correlation with longer lifespan. Maybe this is a roundabout way to get there...

joezydeco•22 minutes ago

I do admire the fact that someone with a sense of humor at ICOS named the molecule TADA-lafil.

croemer•about 1 hour ago

Healthy people have more sex I guess?

fny•about 2 hours ago

Lifespans and inflammation are ironically harder problems.

mykowebhn•about 1 hour ago

Yes, but we don't want medical science to go soft by focusing on the easy problems.

fragmede•about 2 hours ago

During your extended lifetime, wouldn't you like to be able to have a boner, though?

NordStreamYacht•about 1 hour ago

Picasso managed it all without these meds.

Modified3019•about 1 hour ago

FYI, before reaching for PDE5 inhibitors, please be aware that these seem to be ototoxic in some way. Common side effects are tinnitus and to a lesser extent hearing loss.

When taking these, you should track if there are changes to your hearing and cease immediately if you notice something. The damage seems cumulative and based on dose, and may resolve quickly, over months, or not at all. You should also look into any other medicines you take to see if they are ototoxic.

Noaidi•6 minutes ago

Fascinating! I have non-hearing damage induced Tinnitus and Bipolar Disorder and have been interesting in my PDE genetics for sometime as a link to my issues. It seems I have a natural inhibition of many PDE genes (PDE4B specifically, but I have some less studied changes in my PDE5A genetics which suggests an inhibition there as well).

Sildenafil has been know to make BP people relapse in one case...

https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article/7/4/525/707950?login=f...

And also investigated with some mood issues...

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-023-06361-3

Zinc and Magnesium are cofactors for all the PDE genes and those have helped me, specifically the zinc.

I have a feeling that low GTP is causing issues in ED since Cyclic GMP is made from GTP.

raspasov•31 minutes ago

Study link and/or source?

Good4boothee•27 minutes ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ototoxic_medication#Other_exam... has some sources. Worth noting NSAIDs like aspirin are also listed there.

dpark•19 minutes ago

That’s a helpful reference. If accurate, the method of action here is simply nasal congestion (a common side effect).

jurip•about 2 hours ago

There was also just last week this study, which indicated a link to a higher risk of glaucoma: https://www.thepharmacist.co.uk/clinical/mens-health-clinica...

miiiiiike•about 1 hour ago

Check your blood pressure regularly.

Every time I read about a drug reducing dementia risk or increasing longevity I look it up to see if it lowers blood pressure. Never fails.

Cialis does.

toasty228•5 minutes ago

> Check your blood pressure regularly.

Also avoid things that increase blood pressure and do more thing that improve your cardiovascular system. No amount of drug will make up for decades of abuse

comrade1234•about 2 hours ago

The weirdest thing I read about was weightlifters taking viagra to increase their blood flow when working out at the gym. Hopefully they shower at home.

throwawaytea•about 1 hour ago

Just an FYI, these drugs don't actually cause erections or sexual excitement. They simply make erections easier.

Now, if someon is mildly excited by other bodybuilders but usually not enough to make it known, yes Cialis could cause 'movement' as George Costanza put it.

But if you're not into what's in front of you, Cialis isn't going to change anything.

GenerWork•about 2 hours ago

>weightlifters taking viagra to increase their blood flow when working out at the gym

The weightlifting community moved off of Viagra years ago due to Cialis having a much longer half life.

SoftTalker•16 minutes ago

L-Citrulline supplements are also commonly used.

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/l-citrulline#uses

mikestew•about 1 hour ago

It’s the hardcore version of beet juice powder, which athletes often take to…increase blood flow. As a user, I can’t say whether it helps with Viagra’s advertised purpose.

debo_•44 minutes ago

If that's the weirdest thing you've heard of weightlifters doing, you are lucky.

WithinReason•10 minutes ago

what would be an unlucky thing to hear?

francisofascii•about 2 hours ago

Suprised this article doesn't mention nitric oxide or vasodilation? Is that how it works. It boosts nitric oxide signaling, acts as a vasodilator, and improves endothelial function. Beet juice, exercise, and eating nitrate-rich vegetables are some non-pharmaceutical ways to have a similar effect.

josh-wrale•about 1 hour ago

I thought nitrates were dangerous with regard to cancer. (?)

rkallos•20 minutes ago

They can be when they are converted into nitrosamines, which appears to happen in the absence of plants. In the presence of phytonutrients, nitrates are converted to nitrites, which have several health benefits. In the absence of phytonutrients, nitrates can be converted into nitrosamines, which are a potent carcinogen.

See: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/nitrates/

josh-wrale•18 minutes ago

Thanks. I'm looking at the articles in these replies. I see that maybe I should be taking Vitamin C and E to help balance things.

mikestew•about 1 hour ago

Not quite the same thing despite sounding very similar: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/what-to-know-about-foo...

(And good gracious, HN, how about answering the person’s question instead of downvoting it?)

josh-wrale•27 minutes ago

Thanks.

vonneumannstan•33 minutes ago

Not sure what the parent comment is referring to exactly or if they are also conflating things but:

Nitric Oxide = NO

is not the same as common carcinogens in foods like

Sodium Nitrite = NaNO2 or Potassium Nitrate = KNO3

josh-wrale•27 minutes ago

Thanks.

schrectacular•about 1 hour ago

Maybe not longer, but definitely harder.

khalic•about 1 hour ago

As usual, without double blind studies, this is playing with fire… maybe the people taking it have better health because of the extra exercise that goes with an active sex life.

dpark•12 minutes ago

I would imagine the sex itself isn’t super relevant in terms of exercise. But people who seek out medical treatment (or enhancement) likely take better care of themselves in general.

But I would be surprised if there were not a measurable increase in health markers for men who take Cialis. Pretty much any drug that reduces blood pressure is going to have a positive effect on longevity for the average male population (but not the sub-population who have low blood pressure).

jacknews•about 2 hours ago

Maybe the extra sex is the main benefit?

Geof25•about 2 hours ago

Monkey paw wish - you will live longer, but you will be constantly erect.

MarkusQ•about 2 hours ago

Would that be a hard choice?

busterarm•about 2 hours ago

Might be the hardest.

thinkthatover•about 1 hour ago

similar monkey paw in TW3 sidequest: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Goodness,_Gracious,_Great_Ba...!

brandonb•about 2 hours ago

Can't rule out exercise.