NHS Choices assessment: Sildenafil (Viagra) for weight loss

Source: NHS Choices Area: News NHS Choices has featured an assessment of a newspaper report on a study which claims that sildenafil (Viagra) can help men lose weight. The study was conducted in mice, and mouse cells, and therefore, the assessment concludes that "although these results seem promising, all of the results so far have been obtained in mice. Further research is required to determine whether Viagra has any effect on fat tissue in humans, or if it could actually lead to weight loss. Importantly, the effective dose given to mice was higher than the dose used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. It is therefore uncertain whether using a similar dose in men (or indeed women) could lead to unpleasant - or possibly dangerous - side effects in humans".
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news