Viagra helps women, too, says study

The first controlled study of Viagra in women shows the drug, a blockbuster seller for men, also helps women.

The small study conducted by the University of Boston showed the drug helped menopausal women and women who have had hysterectomies with problems such as a loss of sensation and lubrication.

Viagra, made by Pfizer Inc. and known generically as sildenafil, works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, a common body chemical, which in turn gets more blood flowing into the genitals.

Pfizer says seven million prescriptions have been written for Viagra worldwide, which earned the company US $788 million last year.