text_1: Study suggests sildenafil may relieve severe form of edema in swimmers
text_2: This news release describes a small study of individuals prone to swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE, fluid in the lung) that found that giving them a dose of sildenafil (sold under the brand name Viagra) dilated blood vessels and prevented the cold water-induced constriction that may cause the problem. The study involved 10 individuals with a history of SIPE and 20 control subjects. The news release, based on the study published in the journal Circulation, describes the condition and the study parameters nicely but then overwhelms the cautionary comments appropriate for such a modest design with an enthusiastic testimonial from a participant who felt the medicine was a life-changer. The release would be stronger if it had added some quantification of the benefits and relied less on a patient testimonial to make its case. A treatment for swimming-induced pulmonary edema likely won’t matter to most of us recreational swimmers since the incidence of the condition seems low and confined to serious, competitive swimmers and divers. However, the subset of individuals diagnosed with the problem may find the availability of a medication attractive — if it stands up to the rigor of larger studies.