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Hearing loss could be reversed with popular erectile dysfunction drug
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Researchers may have discovered a way to reverse one type of hearing loss.
A new study found that hearing loss caused by mutations in a certain gene at birth may be reversed by a common supplement along with the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil).
Researchers identified mutations in a gene known as CPD — which produces the enzyme carboxypeptidase D — among three unrelated families from Turkey in which multiple people were born deaf.
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These families all had a form of inherited sensorineural hearing loss, a condition caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear that convert sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain, according to the National Institutes of Health.
To better understand the link, the scientists compared the genetic data of affected and unaffected relatives within these families. They then expanded their analysis to other groups.
A new study found that hearing loss caused by mutations in a certain gene at birth may be reversed by a common supplement along with the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. (iStock)
“We subsequently found that CPD mutations are present in people with hearing loss in a large genome sequencing cohort from England,” study author Dr. Mustafa Tekin, professor of human genetics and chair of Department of Human Genetics at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
Lab and animal tests
After turning the CPD gene “off” in human cells in laboratory tests, the researchers noted reduced levels of three substances: arginine (an amino acid), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP, an important signaling molecule) and nitric oxide, which provides vital signals to the nervous system.
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Although the study began with humans, the reversal experiments were also carried out in mice and fruit flies.
When nitric oxide and cGMP levels were low, the hair cells in the mice’s inner ears — which transmit sound signals to the brain — became overstressed and eventually died.
The authors emphasized that they are not proposing Viagra as a hearing loss treatment. (Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In fruit flies, researchers found that silencing the equivalent of the CPD gene led to defects in the organ that helps them detect sound and stay balanced.
But when the researchers administered arginine to human cells, nitric oxide levels returned to normal, resulting in fewer cells dying.
They also found that Viagra, which acts on the nitric oxide pathway, reversed some of the deficits caused by CPD mutations, Tekin added.
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These findings suggest that nitric oxide deficiency in the cochlea — the part of the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into nerve signals — may be a key driver of hearing loss. The CPD gene appears to regulate this process by maintaining proper arginine and nitric oxide levels in hair cells, which are essential for healthy signal transmission and protection against noise-related damage.
“Nitric oxide is vital for many tissues and must be kept in a fine balance,” Tekin said.
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The authors emphasized, however, that they are not proposing Viagra as a hearing loss treatment.
“We used it to strengthen the argument that nitric oxide deficiency in the ear was the underlying cause of deafness,” Tekin noted.
Experts urge caution
Outside experts also warned of an important adverse side effect of Viagra.
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The medication has been associated with rare but serious cases of sudden hearing loss as well as irreversible tinnitus, underscoring the need for caution, Dr. Nooshin Parhizkar, an ENT physician practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, told Fox News Digital.
“At this stage, it is not appropriate or safe for the general public to use Viagra for hearing issues,” she added.
Although scientists have identified more than 200 genes linked to hearing loss, commercial genetic screening tests may only focus on the most common mutations. (iStock)
The hearing loss is usually temporary and reversible after stopping the medication, research has shown.
The Food and Drug Administration added a warning label to Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors about the possible risk of sudden hearing loss after rare reports among those who used the same class of medication.
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It’s unclear whether this side effect is directly caused by the PDE5 inhibitors, as the affected patients may have other medical issues or could be taking other medications that could have led to the hearing loss, according to experts.
Study limitations
The study focused on a very small, genetically defined group of patients, so it is unlikely to apply to most of the population, Parhizkar pointed out.
“At this stage, it is not appropriate or safe for the general public to use Viagra for hearing issues.”
As the research also focused on reversing hearing loss in mice and flies, more studies are needed to evaluate treatment in humans.
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“It is important to get a genetic test done to find the cause of hearing loss,” Tekin advised.
Although scientists have identified more than 200 genes linked to hearing loss, commercial genetic screening tests may only focus on the most common mutations.
Fox News Digital reached out to the maker of Viagra for comment.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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