Viagra, famous for improving men's sexual function, also appears to reduce the effects of hormonal stress on the heart by 50 percent, claims a report by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Viagra (sildenafil) works by helping genital blood vessels expand to maintain an erection, but more recently, it has also been used as a treatment for pulmonary hypertension. However, the drug has been thought to have no direct effect on the heart.

Viagra can alter heart function "Unlike what was previously thought, drugs like Viagra can in fact alter heart function," said lead researcher Dr David Kass, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins. "It alters it particularly when the heart is stimulated by hormones."