Viagra may lead to eye damage in heart patients

Published on Tuesday 17 January 2006 01:27

THE impotency drugs Viagra and Cialis may damage heart patients' eyes, researchers have warned.

Men who had had a heart attack were ten times more likely to have optic nerve damage if they had taken either drug before their diagnosis, according to a study of 76 patients.

A similar link was found to patients who had high blood pressure, although this was not statistically significant.

The researchers said that although the study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, is small, the drugs may reduce the blood flow to the anterior optic nerve, resulting in tissue damage.

Any patient who has endured a sudden severe loss of vision, and is prescribed Viagra or Cialis, should tell their doctor first, said ophthalmologist Dr Gerald McGwin, of Alabama University.

All the patients in the study were asked about their lifestyle, including smoking and alcohol intake, whether they had been diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure and prescribed treatment for these conditions.