Viagra may Worsen Sleep Apnea

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, October 6, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Men who have sleep apnea can make their condition worse if they take Viagra.

A new study from Brazil reveals just one 50-milligram dose of the drug can make it harder for men to get the oxygen their bodies need while they sleep and can also increase the risk of complications.

With sleep apnea, you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more while you sleep because the airway in your nose, mouth or throat is too narrow or blocked. This leads to snoring and loss of sleep. Researchers say erectile dysfunction is very common in sleep apnea patients. Previous research has linked sleep apnea to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.

The study looked at 14 middle-aged men with severe obstructive sleep apnea. After the patients took Viagra or a placebo researchers monitored them all night long with sleep tests that measured their blood oxygen levels.

Results reveal men who took a single dose of Viagra had much longer periods of sleep with a lower level of blood oxygen saturation. And the men's breathing stopped more often each hour.

Because this was a small study, the authors say more research is needed to find out if Viagra is dangerous for men with severe sleep apnea.

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SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:1763-1767