Levitra: The BIG Discovery
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Some very smart scientists discovered that cyclic
guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was the key to sustaining
an erection.
They discovered that when a man gets sexually stimulated,
a chain reaction occurs in the tissue of the penis that results
in elevated levels of a substance called cyclic guanosine
monophosphate (cGMP).
As long as there are sufficient levels of cGMP, the penis can
remain erect. The more cGMP, the more robust and durable
the erection.
If you inhibit the degradation of cGMP it stays around in the
penis longer, producing a more durable erection.
Another way you can think of Levitra (and all other similar
medicines) is that it preserves the elevated levels of cGMP
that are created when a man is sexually stimulated for a
stronger, more lasting erection.
That’s how Levitra works - Levitra blocks the enzyme
phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) which is responsible for the
neutralization of cGMP. Levitra (Vardenafil) is a highly
selective inhibitor of PDE5. (PDE5 is not the only
phosphodiesterase involved in the erectile physiology
but it appears to be the most important one).
The nice thing about PDE5 blockers is that they shouldn’t
cause erections at inappropriate times because they only
block degradation of cGMP produced in reaction to sexual
stimulation, such as thinking about something sexy. If you
are not being sexually stimulated, there is no cGMP to
protect, so the drug remains in the background.