Two blue pills viagra in male hand. Medicine concept of men health, medication for erection, treatment of erectile dysfunction Close up[/caption]
A MAN aged 102 is the oldest in England to be given Viagra on the NHS figures reveal as thousands of older people use the pill.
A record 250,000 prescriptions for the performance-enhancing “blue pill” were given to over-80s in the last year, including the sprightly centenarian.
Figures revealed a man, aged 102, was prescribed Viagra by the NHS[/caption]
According to The Mirror’s analysis of 106 clinical commissioning groups across England, a whopping 4.71 million prescriptions were issued by the NHS last year.
Prescriptions for drugs such as Viagra and Cialis were up 100,000 on the year before.
And that could be just the tip of the iceberg with many opting to buy the drug privately.
The NHS in England alone spent more than £20million helping men dealing with erectile dysfunction.
Figures also revealed that those in their 60s were given the highest number of Viagra pills.
The NHS said erection problems are “very common” in men over 40 and become more likely with age and illness.
It comes as older people are increasingly using dating sites and hook-up apps looking for sex.
Perhaps the most famous elderly Viagra user was Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy.
Known for throwing wild and extravagant parties at his luxury mansion, the magnate’s hearing loss has often been blamed on taking the pills.
The most common side effects are headaches, feeling sick, indigestion and dizziness but many people have no side effects at all or only mild ones.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, was first developed in the 1990s to treat hypertension and angina.
But during clinical trials, the side-effect of increased erections was discovered and it was approved for medical use in 1998.
The NHS warns that a recent heart attack or stroke could make taking the pill more dangerous.
But it advises that most men aged 18 and over can take sildenafil safely.
Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has previously said that elderly men are fast becoming “generation Viagra”.
He said: “Contemporary culture sends out the signal that sex is for life.
“A lot of elderly man feel they must have a full-on sex life by any means necessary.“
The Sun recently reported how research revealed the sex drug has surprising health benefits and could help up to 3 million ageing Brits.
Studies suggested it could potentially prevent back pain and fractures in old age and even reduce the risk of dementia.
It was also revealed last month that men from Yorkshire need the most help in rising to the occassion, according to new figures.
NHS stats show men in the North used the little blue pills much more often than in the South last year.
