Man, 102, becomes oldest in Britain to be given Viagra on the NHS

A man of 102 is the oldest in Britain to be given Viagra on the NHS.

The spirited centenarian popped up in figures showing a record 250,000 pre­­scriptions for the drug given to over-80s. But they may just be the tip of the iceberg, as other ageing lotharios could have bought the performance-boosting pill privately.

Our analysis of data from 106 clinical commissioning groups across England showed the NHS issued 4.71 million pre­­scriptions last year to give men a helping hand in the bedroom – at a cost of £16.9million. Those in their 60s were given the highest number of the acclaimed “blue pill," which tackles erectile dysfunction.

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The analysis comes as dating sites and hook-up apps increasingly cater to older people looking for sex. The most famous elderly Viagra-popper was Hugh Hefner, who founded the Play­boy empire and was famed for the wild parties with his Playboy Playmates at his luxury mansions.

He died in 2017 aged 91. His hearing loss was blamed on the pills – while other side effects can include colour blindness and dizziness. The active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil, was first developed in the 1990s to treat high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.

But it was also found to stop the body from breaking down a molecule responsible for boosting blood flow in other parts of the body – leading to arousal lasting up to two hours. Sildenafil is also used in Hezkue, a world-first oral spray for erectile problems that has just been launched in the UK and costs £60.

The NHS website advises that most men aged 18 and over can safely take sildenafil – but warns that a recent heart attack or stroke could increase the danger of side effects.

Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, previously said of older Viagra users: “Contemporary ­culture sends out the signal that sex is for life. A lot of elderly man feel they must have a full-on sex life by any means necessary. They are fast becoming ‘generation Viagra’.”