A study conducted by the Archives of Internal Medicine has found that men suffering from obstructive sleep disorder are likely to have more episodes of sleep apnea if they take Viagra at bedtime.
Viagra (Sildenafil) is taken by men with erectile dysfunction, which is often seen in men who suffer from severe obstructive sleep disorder. It increases congestion in the upper respiratory tract. This causes the passage to close off during sleep resulting in breathing being stopped for a few moments.The study was done on 14 men aged around 53 who were diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep disorder.50mg of Viagra was given at bedtime to half of them and the other half were given a placebo. An all night sleep was done on them with minimum 7 hours of recording. The next night the participants interchanged the treatment and the same study was done.
It was determined that every hour the subjects on Viagra had 30.3 instances of oxygen reduction, compared to 18.5 in those on the placebo. Each event lasted longer, and the percentage of sleep with reduced oxygen supply also increased significantly.
Dr. Roizenblatt and the team, who have conducted this study, say that the quality and structure of sleep was also altered.
The study advises the use of Viagra with caution in men with sleep disorder. More conclusions could not be arrived at due to the small sample size.
Source-Medindia
SRM
