Viagra has recently been met with a rollercoaster of both good and bad press.

The use of Viagra has recently been linked to an increased risk of developing melanoma skin cancer, but studies also suggest that Viagra may help patients with certain heart conditions.

Viagra is a popular drug used by men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Viagra is manufactured, produced and marketed by Pfizer.

How Does Viagra help Heart Conditions?

A new study was recently published in the BMC Medicine Journal showing that in low doses Viagra may prevent the thickening of the heart in early-state heart failure patients. This could be an important breakthrough for patients diagnosed with ventricular hypertrophy, a serious condition that causes the enlargement and thickening of the heart.

According to the study, Viagra, a PDE5 inhibitor (which prevents smooth tissue from relaxing), can prevent these changes. Medical researchers are looking into whether Viagra might assist with other serious heart conditions. The low doses used for heart conditions do not have the same side effects as the dosage men use to solve erectile dysfunction issues.

Unfortunately, the same PDE5 inhibitor that doctors believe can help patients diagnosed with serious heart problems has been linked to an 84 percent increase in a man’s risk of developing melanoma skin cancer. This risk can be even higher in men already prone to developing the aggressive skin cancer.

PDE5 is an important cancer-fighting protein that naturally occurs in our bodies. PDE5 inhibitors may create an environment in the human body that allows melanoma to flourish. Melanoma is a rare but deadly form of skin cancer. Every year over 43,000 men are diagnosed with melanoma and over 6,000 men are expected to die from the cancer each year.

Viagra’s Aggressive Marketing

Pfizer uses an aggressive marketing campaign in order to increase Viagra profits each year. With new erectile dysfunction drugs appearing on the market, Viagra faces stiff competition. Each year Pfizer spends over $100 million on direct to consumer advertising.

Studies have shown that advertising drug brands directly to consumers rather than medical professionals can greatly increase the popularity and profit of medications.

Many consumers were only recently informed of the potential increased risk of melanoma associated with taking Viagra and many Viagra lawsuits are being filed against Pfizer as a result.

Attorneys are working with victims of Viagra side effects to help them receive compensation for their medical bills and their pain and suffering. These Viagra lawsuits generally claim that the drug manufacturers were negligent and failed to warn the public of serious side effects associated with taking the drug.