Dr. Lou Ignarro. Winner of Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discoveries pertaining to Nitric Oxide (NO).
Dr. Lou Ignarro. Winner of Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discoveries pertaining to Nitric Oxide (NO).
I am excited about publishing my new book, Dr. NO, in February. Dr. NO is a memoir about how the son of uneducated Italian immigrants was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and climb to the top of his medical profession to be awarded the Nobel Prize.
I am excited about publishing my new book, Dr. NO, in February. Dr. NO is a memoir about how the son of uneducated Italian immigrants was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and climb to the top of his medical profession to be awarded the Nobel Prize.
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What an honor and humbling experience it was for me to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for my discoveries pertaining to Nitric Oxide (NO). NO is produced by our arteries to prevent hypertension, stroke and heart attack. Moreover, we discovered that NO is required for sexual arousal and penile erection. This work led to the development of Viagra for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Just after the Nobel Prize was announced in 1998, I was invited to the White House to meet President Bill Clinton. The President escorted me throughout the White House, and we talked about my discoveries as well as his incredible workload as President. Bill Clinton is an extremely charming, likable, and knowledgeable person.
One of the most important aspects of my life is to keep in touch with my best friends. One of the ways I do this is to help organize and attend class reunions. One of the most memorable is my 60th High School Reunion in Long Beach, NY. My three closest buddies were Jeff Robbins, Ken Spooner and Jeff Becker. We all stay in shape by running, cycling, swimming or ice skating.
Every three months or so, I get together with friends and do a sponsored Century Ride, which is 100 miles of cycling, taking about 7 or 8 hours. That’s one way to improve heart health and increase longevity. It’s also a great way to see the outdoors. (getting ready to ride the Windmill Century in California)
Nitric Oxide in Health and Disease
Nitric Oxide functions as a widespread signaling molecule throughout the body. Some of the roles or functions of NO include the following: (1) vasodilation to decrease blood pressure and improve organ blood flow, (2) prevent unwanted blood clotting and obstruction to blood flow in arteries, (3) anti-inflammatory action in arteries to maintain a healthy arterial inner lining without cholesterol plaque buildup, (4) promotes learning, memory and information recall in the brain, (5) aids in the digestive process by promoting movement of digested foods and regulating secretion of digestive hormones and enzymes, (6) regulates bladder function by allowing the bladder to expand and hold more urine, (7) promotes erectile function and sexual arousal in men and women, (8) protects the skin against ionizing radiation from the sun. In addition, NO functions as a signaling molecule in concert with many other molecules and hormones in the body to maintain normal bodily functions.
Latest Nitric Oxide News
The Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide Pathway on Healthy Ageing: A Review of Pre-clinical and Clinical Data on the Impact of Dietary Nitrate in the ElderlyThe Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide Pathway on Healthy Ageing: A Review of Pre-clinical and Clinical Data on the Impact of Dietary Nitrate in the Elderly
Ingestion of foods, like root vegetables, containing nitrates and nitrites provides an outside source of NO by being converted to NO in the body.
Physical activity markedly stimulates the production of NO, which then increases blood flow to the working skeletal muscle cells. In addition, the same NO protects your cardiovascular system against disease.
This section provides a snapshot of the progress that has been made in the field of NO research during the past 20 years, since the Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of NO. This begs the question of what more will we understand 20 years from now?
Latest Media Coverage
Nobel Laureate Louis J. Ignarro, PhD, also commonly referred to as the “Father of Viagra” is releasing his long-awaited memoir, chronicling his humble early life as the son of poor Italian immigrants to his rise to internationally distinguished research scientist.
Nitric oxide causes the muscle cells (smooth muscle) enveloping arteries to relax, thereby causing vasodilation or widening of the arteries according to Dr. Louis Ignarro in a new paper on nitric oxide and COVID-19.
One thing I urge everyone to practice during this coronavirus pandemic is to breathe or inhale through your NOSE and exhale through your mouth. The cells and tissues in the nose, but not the mouth, constantly and continuously produce nitric oxide, which is a gas.
