--- description: Cialis can boost blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles -- other than the ones usually associated with the drug. title: VIDEO: ED Drugs Could Help Muscular Dystrophy Patients image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Could Help Muscular Dystrophy Patients by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2014 8:18 PM CUT by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2014 8:18 PM CUT A study out of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles says common erectile dysfunction drug Cialis helped boost blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The condition affects around 1 in 3,600 boys and tests have shown that the drug helps fight DMD and is more effective than rival Viagra. Currently there is another drug awaiting FDA approval that, according to some reports, could cure DMD, but for now, researchers are hoping to expand their research group and their Cialis testing. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/92968/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-could-help-muscular-dystrophy-patients/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/92968/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-could-help-muscular-dystrophy-patients/"},"headline":"Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Could Help Muscular Dystrophy Patients","datePublished":"2014-05-08T20:18:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:44:23.846Z","description":"Cialis could be an effective treatment for boys with the most common form of the muscle disease","url":"https://time.com/92968/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-could-help-muscular-dystrophy-patients/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Video","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-video/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/92968/erectile-dysfunction-drugs-could-help-muscular-dystrophy-patients/","name":"Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Could Help Muscular Dystrophy Patients"}}]}] ```