Health
Erectile dysfunction meds like Viagra linked to reduced Alzheimer's risk, study suggests
Erectile dysfunction medication could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study is suggesting, though some experts cast doubt on the link between the two.
In a study by University College London researchers in the U.K., men who were prescribed phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, otherwise known as erectile dysfunction drugs, were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease years later.
The study, published in the journal Neurology by the American Academy of Neurology, surveyed 269,725 men who had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction without any memory problems or cognitive deficits.
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Among the respondents, 55% were taking erectile dysfunction medication, including sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil and avanafil.
These men were compared to the remaining respondents, who were not prescribed these drugs.
Viagra and Cialis tablets are pictured on a tray at a New York pharmacy on Tuesday, May 18, 2004. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Researchers adjusted the results for factors like age, underlying health conditions, smoking status and co-prescribed medications.
The findings pointed to an 18% Alzheimer’s risk reduction in patients who were prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs after a follow-up period of about five years.
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The strongest association was among men who took these drugs more regularly, the study found.
Erectile dysfunction drugs “act on a cell-signaling messenger that has also been investigated for its links to memory,” according to a UCL press release.
A doctor points at potential evidence of Alzheimer’s disease spotted in a PET scan at Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston on March 30, 2023. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File photo)
“These drugs are also able to cross the blood-brain barrier and may affect brain cell activity,” the press release stated.
Animal research has discovered that erectile dysfunction medication has “some neuroprotective benefits,” according to the UCL researchers.
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Lead study author Dr. Ruth Brauer, of the UCL School of Pharmacy, commented in the release on the progression of new Alzheimer’s treatments.
“Although we’re making progress with the new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that work to clear amyloid plaques in the brain for people with early stages of the disease, we desperately need treatments that can prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.
“More research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs, and look into the optimal dosage.”
“This observational study is based on electronic health care records.”
A randomized, controlled trial including both men and women is warranted, Brauer added.
Ozama Ismail, PhD, director of scientific programs at the Alzheimer’s Association, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“While this study is interesting and adds to a potential association, there is no evidence that these drugs are able to treat Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
“This observational study is based on electronic health care records and cannot determine if the connection is meaningful without further exploration.”
An Alzheimer’s expert said patients should always consult their doctor before changing medications. (iStock)
Further research and clinical trials are a “necessary step” before considering erectile dysfunction medications as a treatment for Alzheimer’s, Ismail noted.
“Such trials would need to include diverse participants — including women — to conclusively determine if this class of drug can meaningfully treat Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
An “important limitation” of the study is that Alzheimer’s diagnoses were not determined using “gold standard” testing, the expert said, which would include “imaging biomarkers and/or assessment at autopsy.”
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Ismail warned that patients should not use over-the-counter erectile dysfunction drugs to prevent Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
“Always consult with your physician before starting or changing your medications,” he advised.
An expert warned that patients should not use over-the-counter erectile dysfunction drugs to prevent Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Although the study was limited, Ismail said, it highlights a “potential new avenue for drug repurposing.”
He added, “The repurposing of existing, approved treatments can be a valuable part of drug development because, through already completed testing, we know much about their safety and side effects.”
“This can sometimes reduce the length and cost of studies needed for the new indication.”
Repurposing drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s would require new studies to be conducted over longer periods of time and in older people that “reflect the diversity of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease,” Ismail said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the UCL researchers for additional comment on the study.
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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