ED drug Sildenafil Citrate also treats Raynaud's Phenomenon

Raynaud's phenomenon affects 3 to 5 million people worldwide. It takes place when small blood vessels in the skin constrict in response to cold temperature or stress, causing numbness, tingling, and pain in fingers and toes. In severe cases, ulcerations can occur in the fingers and toes.

The outcome of the study says Sildenafil Citrate improved blood flow in the capillaries and healed finger and toe wounds resulting in a significant reduction in the frequency and duration of Raynaud's attacks.

This is the first evidence from a controlled study that Sildenafil Citrate is effective in treatment-resistant Raynaud's phenomenon, said researchers. According to them, "Sildenafil Citrate and drugs like it offer a promising new approach in patients with microcirculatory disorders."

"Our results are likely to change clinical practice" said lead author Roland Fries, M.D., and associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Saarland in Homburg, Germany.

Patients received either Sildenafil Citrate or a placebo for four weeks and then were switched to the opposite treatment for an additional four weeks. Sildenafil-treated patients had an average of 35 Raynaud's attacks compared to 52 in placebo-treated patients. Total duration of all attacks averaged 581 minutes with Sildenafil Citrate versus 1,046 minutes with placebo.

During Sildenafil Citrate treatment, average capillary blood flow velocity increases more than four times. Patients reported less pain and lesions began to heal in patients with chronic ulcerations on their fingers and toes .