Viagra (sildenafil) is a little blue pill for erectile dysfunction that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998. It works by “blocking certain enzymes to dilate blood vessels and enhance blood flow to the penis.”

Viagra made drug maker Pfizer close to $2 billion in profits in 2013 alone. And now researchers found it may be good for the heart as well.

According to recent findings by researchers at Sapienza University in Rome, the main chemical in Viagra (and other ED drugs), phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE-5i), that stops the muscle tissue from relaxing, may also protect the heart from cardiovascular disease. However, different studies show that Viagra itself may have a connection to melanoma.

Findings from the Italian study state that PDE-5i has the potential to help prevent changes in the size and shape of heart tissue, and possibly impact overall heart health.

Published in BMC Medicine, the research looked at more than 1,600 patients with heart conditions, but not necessarily suffering from erectile dysfunction. Their conclusions were based on the analysis of 24 trials between 2004 and 2014.

The scientists found that PDE5i helped patients with ventricular hypertrophy, a condition where enlarged heart tissue makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood, by stopping the heart’s shifting size. It also improved heart activity for all patients looked at with no negative blood pressure impact.

The study’s lead author, Andrea Isidori, said, “we found that the main ingredient in Viagra can be used as an effective, safe treatment for several patients with heart disease. Large clinical trials are now urgently needed to build on these encouraging findings.”

These larger trials need to include women.

There have been studies tying men with erectile dysfunction to a higher chance of developing heart disease, so it’s interesting that sildenafil addresses both. Doses of sildenafil are smaller for the treatment of heart conditions, like pulmonary hypertension.

Viagra – an Accidental Drug

The development of a drug like Revatio was the goal when scientists started testing sildenafil citrate. In 1989, British scientists were looking at it as a possible medication for the treatment of high blood pressure and angina.

However, in early trials, another discovery was made — that sildenafil increased the number of erections in test subjects. Pfizer took this discovery, and in 1996, patented it as Viagra.

Other Viagra Side Effects

With hundreds of thousands of prescriptions to date, Viagra is a very popular drug. And now, with the heart implications, it may be an even bigger seller. But individuals considering the little blue pill need to be aware of all Viagra side effects.

Erections are not the only side effect of sildenafil, and it seems the heart isn’t the only other organ affected. The skin may be as well.

Earlier this spring, medical researchers started looking at a connection between erectile dysfunction medications and melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Melanoma, like other skin cancers, is largely associated with too much sun, especially without sunscreen. It’s rare, but melanoma causes the majority of skin cancer deaths.

Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine in June found that taking Viagra (sildenafil) increased men’s chances of developing melanoma by 84 percent versus those not taking the drug. Moreover, the chance doubled for men who took Viagra once and stopped.

In the case of Viagra’s target audience of men over 50, those individuals are already at higher risk for melanoma. So while doctors say the findings aren’t enough to stop prescriptions, they do suggest that individuals with a history of melanoma check in with their doctors.