Besides being used to treat erectile dysfunction, Viagra may actually protect the hearts of people suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is often a precursor to heart failure, a new Canadian study reveals.

DMD is one of the most prevalent types of muscular dystrophy and is characterized by rapid progression of muscle degeneration that occurs early in life. The disease is caused by abnormal levels of dystrophin protein and affects mainly males—an estimated 1 in 3500 boys worldwide.

The disease affects both skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle, lead author of the study Christine Des Rosiers, a professor of cardiology in the department of nutrition at the University of Montreal said in her study. Most patients die before age 30.

Dr. Rosiers in collaboration with Dr. Basil Petrof of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and Dr. Christian Deschepper of the Institute de Recherches Cliniques de Montreal conducted a lab analysis on mice with a version of the disease. The experiment found that giving the mice sildenafil, the ingredient in drug maker Pfizer Inc’s Viagra helped keep their hearts working well.

“If you don’t give the sildenafil, the heart of these mice doesn’t function as well as normal mice, and they are more susceptible to stress-induced cell death,” said Des Rosiers, as quoted by Reuters. She also added that future human clinical trials are needed before doctors prescribe it for heart trouble in patients with DMD.

In fact, the researchers stressed the importance and need to develop more effective treatment strategies for patients affected with this type of muscular dystrophy.

The findings of the analysis were published in the May 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.