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Scientists believe that Viagra could a way to help prevent dementia.
As we know, Viagra, or other erectile dysfunction drugs, improve blood flow to the penis. By extension, experts at St George's University of London hope this can improve blood flow to the brain.
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Researchers are currently testing Tadalafil, a product similar to Viagra, on British volunteers to see it will help prevent or slow down the onset of vascular dementia.
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"This initiative is to use existing medicines, which are well understood and safe, and to see whether we can use them for a different purpose," research leader Dr Atticus Hainsworth told the Daily Mail. "Our study at the moment is simply to ask whether it increases blood flow to the brain. It does have side effects if you take too much, but it is essentially safe and it is much-used in the sort of age group we are hoping to target."
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Vascular dementia is prevalent - only Alzheimer's disease is more common - and causes memory, speech and concentration problems.
Erectile dysfunction drugs help to expand blood vessels, which is the opposite of what happens to dementia sufferers, where blood vessels become diseased and restrict blood flow.
Up to 24 people have already taken part in the trial, with 30 more set to take part. The results will be found using high-tech scanners to measure blood flow, with the results being published later this year.
If the research proves successful, and the drugs do increase blood flow to the brain, a second test will be trialled, seeing if the drugs improve cognition.
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There could be some obvious side effects for participants in the studies, but nevertheless, it could work out very beneficial.
Words by Mark McGowan