Why Shane Warne's death should be a warning to every middle aged man

It's been three years since legendary Aussie cricketer Shane Warne was found dead in a villa on the island lisinopril 20 mg tablets of Koh Samui.

At the time, an autopsy revealed the 52-year-old, who was in Thailand for a 'lads' holiday' and was known for his love of partying, had died from a heart attack.

But this week, the Mail revealed a possible 'cover-up' in Warne's death. 

A senior Thai police official alleged he was ordered to quietly dispose of a packet of Kamagra - a sex drug containing sildenafil, the same active ingredient as Viagra - that had been found in the hotel room shortly after Warne's body was discovered.

The drug was described as 'super strong'.

The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'We were ordered by our seniors to get rid of the bottle. These orders were coming from up high, and I think senior officials from Australia were also involved because they did not want their national figure to have an ending like this.

'So, the official report came out as that he suffered a heart attack and no other details as to what could have caused it. No one will come out to confirm the Kamagra because it remains a sensitive subject. There were lots of powerful invisible hands behind all this.'

With known links between sildenafil (the active ingredient in both Viagra and Kamagra) and cardiovascular issues, speculation is now rife as to whether the presence of the substance in Warne's hotel room could have contributed to his death.




Australian cricketer Shane Warne is seen here in CCTV footage of his last moments alive before he suffered a massive heart attack in a villa on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand





A Skyn condom was found in Warne's bag near where his body was discovered





A selfie of Shane Warne in Koh Samui, Thailand, before his death, believed to be his last one

Dr Sara Whitburn, Chair of the RACGP Sexual Health Special Interest Group, says that while Viagra has a high safety profile, heart problems - which Warne was known to suffer from - must be taken into consideration when prescribing the drug.

'It is important to consider someone's cardiovascular health when prescribing Viagra,' she explains.

'Cardiovascular disease can be a cause for erectile dysfunction, but needs to be considered before prescribing medication like Viagra as cardiac medication and cardiac problems can be a contraindication for prescribing PDE5 inhibitors.'

Dr Whitburn says that while Viagra is generally safe, some side effects can occur, including headache, nausea, dizziness, nasal congestion, muscle pain and back pain. 

'Users should be aware that there is a small risk of a condition called priapism (prolonged, painful erection) and vision problems (mostly in older people),' she adds. 

There are also a number of underlying conditions that can make taking these types of medication more dangerous, says Dr Whitburn, which is why patients are required to undergo a full history and examination before being prescribed erectile dysfunction medication.

'Viagra works by dilating blood vessels to help with erectile problems, so there are some contraindications to using PDE5 inhibitors, including the use of nitrates for angina (chest pain), heart failure, resting hypotension (low blood pressure), recent stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack) as Viagra can make these conditions worse,' she says.

According to Australia's Therapeutic Goods Association, there have been 1,104 reported cases of adverse events related to sildenafil in the past 30 years.