Ukmedix have learnt in a Pfizer sponsored project, that researchers from the The Hospital for Sick Children in Canada have conducted research with Viagra and whether it is able to help sick children who suffer from pulmonary arterial hypertension. The study involved fourteen children with the disease and the key ingredient of Viagra namely sildenafil was given over a year period to the sick children who were between 5 and 18 years of age.

The study results noted an increased ability in the children to exert themselves physically and better breathing ability. In fact the researchers measured the distance that the children were able to walk over six minutes and they saw that the average distance was improved by over 500 feet. The researchers also measured the flow resistance in the pulmonary arteries and the kids taking Viagra had an average of about 20% less resistance in their arteries than at the beginning of the year making the breathing process less strained for them.

The overall conclusion was that sidenafil was as good if not better than other drugs used for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension and gave the patients a better quality of life. Also the Viagra drug was noted to have very few side effects.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension or PAH occurs when the blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries connected to the lungs is dangerously elevated. The condition causes a gradual deteriation in the blood vessels as they become smaller and smaller restricting blood flow and increasing the blood pressure further. The condition is fatal if not treated and may be present for many years before causing death.

Children normally die within 5 years of being diagnosed despite medical advances in treatment and care. The use of the Viagra drug is giving children and their parents serious hope that one day they may begin to live normal lives and be cured of this terrible condition.