Erection pills like Viagra linked to more than 200 deaths in Britain – from brain bleeds to heart attacks

POPULAR erection-enhancing pills like Viagra given out by GPs have been linked to more than 200 deaths in Britain, new figures reveal.

None of the fatalities are proven to have been directly caused by the drugs, but all have been linked to its use.

Despite the shocking figures, experts insist the tablets are safe and suggest many of the deaths are instead related to men with existing heart issues having sex.

The drugs are handed out on the NHS to men who struggle to maintain an erection in the bedroom, medically called erectile dysfunction (ED).

They can also buy sildenafil, Viagra’s main ingredient, and other bedroom boosters without a prescription on the high street.

In all, 2,441 reports of the effects of five impotence pills were made to watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) between 1998 and 2024.

This includes pills named sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (branded as Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra) and avanafil (Spedra), according to data sourced by MailOnline.

The latest NHS data shows 22million prescriptions for these drugs were prescribed out by GPs in England between 2019 and 2023.

There were 16,00 Yellow Card reports of serious side effects and 205 deaths (all related to sildenafil and tadalafil).

Forty-five deaths were reported in women, even though they don’t get the same arousal-pumping effects as men when popping the pills.

The medicines work by widening blood vessels to improve blood flow.

This is why they are used to treat other conditions, including pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs. 

Scientists have discovered it can speed up recovery from jet lag, even reduce altitude sickness, and treat Alzheimer’s.

Overall, people in their 60s accounted for a third of all reported deaths (66).

Not all the deaths in the report stated a cause. But of those that did, the majority (50) related heart issues, such as heart failure.

Most of these (31) were linked to heart attacks. 

Another large category for reported deaths was nervous system disorders, with 18 fatalities. 

The majority of these were related to cerebral haemorrhage, a bleed on the brain which can trigger strokes – a known rare potential side effect of the drugs. 

Mental health issues were also reported in relation to the medications, including five cases of suicide.  

Other less serious adverse reactions, such as flatulence and diarrhoea, were also reported.

This data only covers drugs prescribed on the NHS and not over-the-counter purchases.

The Yellow Card scheme collects and monitors safety concerns such as side effects from medicines.

Sex itself could be the issue

The sex drugs are already known to be dangerous for those with heart problems.

Leaflets that come in sildenafil boxes mention cases of sudden death in men having taken the drug, though it says these cases are rare and mostly in men with heart problems. 

Professor Amr Raheem, a consultant andrologist at men’s health business Adam Health, said it was important to remember what situation these drugs are being used it.

“It’s imperative to understand that sexual activity, akin to any form of physical exertion, carries a risk of cardiac events, especially in individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions,” he told MailOnline. 

“The main issue, therefore, is the potential for cardiac events during the physical activity involved in sexual intercourse, rather than the direct effect of the ED medication.”

An MHRA spokesman said: “Sildenafil and tadalafil have been used for many years to treat erectile dysfunction without any serious safety concerns.

“The side effects known to be associated with their use are listed in the information provided to healthcare professionals and patients.

“This information also contains guidance on which patients cannot safely take these medicines and which other medicines and medical conditions increase the likelihood of experiencing side effects.”

The spokesman added that they continually review the safety of all medicines, including sildenafil and tadalafil, as well as Yellow Card reports.