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Ocular blood flow not affected by Viagra

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IRVINE, Calif. — Sildenafil citrate may have no effect on ocular blood flow, according to a study. This finding is in contrast to warnings issued when the erectile dysfunction drug was first approved.

The study found, however, that the drug, marketed as Viagra by Pfizer, may cause damage to the optic nerves of men whose blood vessels are already in a poor state.

Timothy McCulley, MD, and colleagues at the University of California and elsewhere studied 13 patients randomized to 200 mg of sildenafil or to placebo. Choroidal thickness, color vision and contrast sensitivity were measured at baseline and at 90 and 180 minutes.

Mean choroidal thickness and contrast sensitivity did not change significantly relative to baseline in either group. The variance in differences between repeat and baseline measurements of choroidal thickness was significantly higher at 90 minutes (P = .003) in the sildenafil group.

The study is published in Ophthalmologica.