Hardly a month goes by in the Ukmedix newsroom before we get yet another news report that the Viagra drug is being tested or put to use for other ailments than erectile dysfunction and this time its Liver Cirrhosis. Previously Ukmedix has reported on the fact that Viagra was being used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and that it is being in research for heart problems and may be used to stop heart attacks in the future and it seems that the drug may have many more useful applications that just helping impotent men.

Liver Cirrhosis is a condition that may in fact have an affect on pulmonary circulation and can sometimes cause high blood pressure in lungs which is called portopulmonary hypertension. This type of hypertension can like arterial pulmonary hypertension can cause breathlessness and be potentially fatal. People who have liver cirrhosis and thus get portopulmonary hypertension are unable to have a liver transplant as there is no treatment available for this extra problem.

Recently however researchers in Germany and Austria used the active ingredient of Viagra to treat some patients who suffered from both liver cirrhosis as well as the portopulmonary hypertension and it was noted that over the course of a year the symptoms of the hypertension improved significantly along with blood pressure and there were no reported side-effects with the Viagra treatment, (except the famous one of course)!

The researchers reported that the use of Viagra's active ingredient sildenafil could be used safely and effectively to help liver cirrhosis patients if they develop the added complication of  portopulmonary hypertension.