Try This: Could this common drug also improve heart health?

Try This community, today I’m sharing four things I’ve been researching this week. 

At a high level: 

1. Could this common drug lower your risk of a major cardiovascular event?

2. Does melatonin increase heart disease risk? 

3. The mineral deficiency that could shorten your lifespan 

4. Why dads need to take their workouts seriously 
   
   

Number 1: Could This Common Drug Also Improve Heart Health?

Researchers recently analyzed data from over 1.25 million men who used PDE5 inhibitors—the same class of drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction (e.g., Cialis [tadalafil])—and found something insanely promising.

Those who took these medications had a 22 percent lower risk of major cardiovascular events (like heart attacks or strokes) and a 30 percent lower risk of dying from any cause when compared to those who didn’t.

How? 

These drugs improve blood flow and vascular function by boosting nitric oxide signaling. That means better endothelial function, smoother circulation, and potentially reduced inflammation, which are all key players in cardiovascular health.

There are some limitations here. I believe the studies were mostly observational, but that doesn’t mean we should throw the evidence out; it still looks really promising.

By the way, you know what also boosts nitric oxide production? Regular exercise!

I’m definitely going to be looking into this for my dad (and myself), and it could be worth talking to your doctor about if you have increased risk factors for heart disease. 

One other thing to note is that women were not analyzed as part of this research, so we don’t know yet if the drug has the same impact on them, but hopefully more research will come out in the future about this and other therapies women can use to combat heart disease.

Number 2:  Should We Be Worried About Taking Melatonin?

Everyone was talking about this major melatonin study last week, and before you panic (if you’re a melatonin taker), let’s talk about what this means. 

First, a breakdown of the study: It looked at 130,000 adults with insomnia and found that long-term melatonin use (1+ years) was linked to a significantly higher risk of heart failure—nearly 90 percent higher than those who didn’t use it. These melatonin users were also more likely to be hospitalized or die from heart-related issues over the following five years.

But melatonin itself may not be the cause! It’s more likely that people who regularly use melatonin have underlying issues like poor sleep, chronic stress, or other health conditions that raise heart risk. 

Or basically, as our friend Greg Mushen puts it:

So, here’s my takeaway from all of this: if your sleep is struggling, you need to work on it ASAP. And that doesn’t mean just taking melatonin every night and hoping for the best. It means doing all of the things we know support sleep:

✅Exercise daily 

✅Eat for blood sugar support and eat nutritionally dense foods that feature sleep nutrients: zinc, tryptophan, magnesium, etc. 

✅Get morning sunlight and avoid blue light at night

✅Actively relax and prepare for sleep (build a sleep routine, go to bed at the same time every single day)

Don’t just throw out your melatonin and think everything will sort itself out. Actively work to get your sleep in check! If you do take melatonin, my recommendation is don’t just pick up any old pill from your local drug store. I like Herbatonin, a plant-based form of melatonin that’s 100 percent plant-derived. If you’re worried about melatonin, always talk with your doctor!

In the meantime, check out my full sleep protocol here. 

Number 3: Are You Iron-Deficient? Read This

I recently came across this X thread from @HeidiHmoretti (aka, TheHealthyRD) about the importance of iron, and I thought it was so important to share since a lot of people are iron-deficient and anemic, especially in my community from South Asia. 

A new investigation looked at nearly 2,400 adults aged 50 and older, tracking their diet, DNA methylation patterns (epigenetic “clocks”), and mortality over about 20 years.

The researchers found that higher dietary iron intake was associated with more favorable epigenetic profiles (that is, markers linked with slower biological aging) and a lower risk of death from all causes, heart disease, and respiratory disease. 

In fact, eating more dietary iron was associated with a 7 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 13 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 28 percent lower risk of death-related respiratory disease. 

So, what is iron actually doing? How is it impacting our mortality risk exactly?

The data revealed that some of this protective effect of iron appears to be mediated by the way iron influences DNA methylation patterns (i.e., the way genes are regulated). Put another way: more iron in the diet seemed to help “tune” the epigenetic aging clocks in a more favorable direction, which in turn contributed to longer survival.

Yet another reason to take iron deficiency. It’s not just about fatigue, hair loss, and feeling like crap. Iron deficiency could actually be aging you! 

While a diet high in iron is definitely key, sometimes people need to supplement, which is when a practitioner could be helpful. 

Number 4: Future Dad? Start Working Out!

I loved reading this one, and it made me happy that I prioritized working out so much in the years leading up to having our first baby. 

A new study shows that when fathers engage in consistent endurance‑type exercise, they can pass on enhanced stamina and metabolic advantages to their children through a surprising route: changes in sperm microRNAs.

Side note: this is an animal study (mice), but it’s still really cool to see. Perhaps in the future, we’ll get some proof that this is the same for human beings. But honestly, men who want to be fathers should be working out regardless!

In the experiment, male mice that trained on a treadmill for eight weeks produced offspring that exhibited roughly 30–40 percent greater running endurance and had more efficient muscle metabolism, higher mitochondrial activity, and leaner body composition than offspring from sedentary fathers.

Digging deeper, the researchers found that exercise boosted certain microRNAs in sperm that suppress a gene called NCoR1 in early embryos. This gene normally limits mitochondrial and endurance‑related programming. By silencing it, the offspring were essentially “pre‑wired” for better oxidative muscle function and endurance performance even without training themselves!

Moms and dads, we set the stage for our children’s health! 

See you next week for more shares, 

Dhru Purohit

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