England's oldest Viagra user revealed as thousands of pensioners over 80 taking sex drug

A 102-year-old man has been revealed as the oldest person in England to be prescribed Viagra on the NHS, amid a surge in demand for the erectile dysfunction drug among pensioners. New NHS figures show more than 250,000 prescriptions were issued to men aged over 80 last year, with health chiefs confirming the centenarian's identity through anonymised prescription data.

The number of men seeking help has risen sharply in recent years, with NHS England confirming a total of 4.71 million prescriptions for sildenafil - the active ingredient in Viagra - were dispensed in 2023 alone, costing the health service £16.9 million. Men in their 60s accounted for the highest number of prescriptions, but the growing demand among over-80s suggests older patients are increasingly seeking treatment to maintain their sex lives.

The figures were compiled following a Mirror analysis of prescription data across all 106 NHS clinical commissioning groups in England.

Viagra, known for its distinctive blue tablets, was originally developed in the 1990s to treat pulmonary hypertension - high blood pressure in the lungs - before researchers discovered its unexpected effect on blood flow elsewhere in the body.

The drug has since become one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for erectile dysfunction, with some men opting to purchase it over the counter, or through private clinics, meaning the true number of users could be significantly higher than official statistics suggest.

The NHS advises that most adult men can take sildenafil safely, but cautions against its use by those who have recently suffered a heart attack or stroke, due to the risk of serious side effects including dizziness and changes to vision.

Sildenafil can remain effective for up to two hours, and is now also available in a new oral spray form called Hezkue, which recently launched in the UK with a retail price of £60.

Sociologist Professor Frank Furedi, of the University of Kent, previously suggested the rise in older men using Viagra reflected a broader cultural shift.

He said: "Contemporary culture sends out the signal that sex is for life. A lot of elderly men feel they must have a full-on sex life by any means necessary. They are fast becoming 'generation Viagra'."

Online dating sites and apps have increasingly targeted older users in recent years, with a growing number of services now catering specifically to over-50s looking for companionship or casual encounters.

The most famous older user of Viagra was Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who admitted using the drug in his later years.

He died aged 91 in 2017, with some reports attributing his hearing loss to long-term sildenafil use.

Despite concerns over side effects, NHS demand continues to grow, particularly among older men unwilling to accept sexual decline as a natural part of ageing.

The rise in prescriptions among men in their 80s and 90s suggests the so-called "generation Viagra" is here to stay - with the 102-year-old patient at the very top of the age scale.