Opening Blood Vessels: Viagra or Arginine?
 

Viagra has had quite a good run of sales since it was introduced in the late 1990’s. Sales must be sagging, however, since we are now starting to hear that the drug can actually be good for cardiovascular patients. That would have been blasphemy just a few years ago, yet it makes sense when viewed from the perspective that endothelial cell dysfunction and low nitrous oxide levels are involved in arteriosclerosis. However, just because there may be market for a particular drug for a specific indication doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to go. Certainly the drug company will promote it anyway they can to increase sales, but as always, the consumer should be cautious and research the alternatives.

High blood pressure in the lung arteries is called pulmonary hypertension. This can be a fatal condition in infants as well as adults. The standard treatment for infants is breathing nitrous oxide (NO) which relaxes the pulmonary arteries and reduces the pressure. Recent studies in adults found that oral Viagra can achieve similar results to NO inhalation, and in India, amidst great controversy, Viagra was used successfully in 3 infant cases in 2002. Both substances work through the mediation of a chemical called cyclic-GMP which produces dilation of arteries. The drug reduces the breakdown of c-GMP, while the NO increases the amount produced. It seems clear that erectile dysfunction may be an early warning indicator of arteriosclerosis. Men with ED have double the average levels of CRP, for example, a marker for inflammation and damage inside of blood vessels, and showed less flow through the brachial arteries than the control group. Disturbance in NO metabolism is one of many signs of the inflammation which occurs in the process of the development of arteriosclerotic plaque.

My point is that my readers should be prepared for the new hype that Viagra may actually be good for people with vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension, and for a whole new marketing cycle which will attempt to redouble Pfizer’s income from the drug. They should also be aware that there is an alternative that physiologically makes more sense, and carries much less risk of adverse effects: that would be the amino acid L-arginine, which acts as the building block for the production of NO within blood vessel walls, which in turn produces c-GMP and keeps blood vessels relaxed and open. This is the natural method of dealing with this problem rather than slowing the breakdown of c-GMP with a drug. This whole scenario is similar to the situation with antidepressant drugs. They slow the reuptake of serotonin back into the neurons, but do not increase the total amount of serotonin available. The better natural solution for depression is to use 5-HTP which is a direct precursor to serotonin, and directly increases the supply of the neurotransmitter in the brain. Using arginine in cardiovascular cases will promote NO secretion and increased dilation of blood vessels throughout the entire vascular tree, while the effect of Viagra is rather more limited to the genital area, perhaps giving the drug the advantage in treating ED, but the supplement the advantage in generalized arteriosclerotic vascular disease. Nonetheless, men with erectile dysfunction might do well to try using arginine supplementation under a physician’s care in lieu of the ED drugs to determine whether the effects will be comparable. If so, the treatment will be safer and much less expensive, and much more generally beneficial than using the drug.

The other point I want to make is about hype. The drug companies specialize in it and seem to control the media. That really favorably impacts their bottom line. They are the masters. But interestingly enough, the supplement companies are learning from them and copying their ways. They hop on any fad or book that comes along and then promote expensive products with inadequate scientific basis, and ignore a well proven cheaper alternative. Why? Because it’s good for sales. The prices on some “hot” nutraceuticals rival those of the latest drugs. It shouldn’t be that way. Don’t let yourself pay extra by falling for the latest media hype, and don’t subject yourself to unnecessary risks. Talk to a well qualified natural medicine physician to discuss what supplements are right for you.