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Vardenafil is the active component of Levitra, a medication used to treat impotence in men. There are two other products on the market that are similar to Levitra and they are Cialis and Viagra. Like its competitors, vardenafil is a treatment that is used to help men attain firmer erections that last long enough for them to enjoy more satisfying sexual intercourse.

It is co-marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, GSK and SP and is considered to be similar to the chemical in Viagra, sildenafil, except that it has a longer active time in the body. In order to understand how Levitra works, it is important to know the basic processes that occur when a man has an erection.

Chemical composition of Vardenafil
Chemical composition of Vardenafil

How does vardenafil work?

Process of gaining an erection
Sexual arousal
process of gaining an erection
Release of chemical messengers (cGMP)
Widening of blood vessels in the penis

Vardenafil stops the enzyme PDE-5 from breaking down cGMP too early. This means your erection will be firm and long-lasting enough for intercourse.

When a man becomes sexually aroused, signals are sent via his nervous system. These signals release a series of chemical messengers within the tissues of the penis. One of these chemicals is cyclic GMP. cGMP's main task is to smooth and relax a thin layer of muscle in the blood vessel walls in the penile tissues, which causes the blood vessels to widen. This allows for a steady flow of blood into the penis resulting in a firm erection.

Typically, after satisfying sexual intercourse, more chemical messengers are sent throughout the body, one of which is called PDE-5. This particular chemical is responsible for breaking down cGMP. In doing so, cGMP can no longer function, and the blood vessels go back to their normal size and the penis becomes flaccid.

Vardenafil, however, stops PDE-5 from doing its job and breaking the cGMP down. By not being able to break cGMP down, the blood vessels do not return to their normal size, and thus an increased flow of blood is sent into the penis. This is what results in a firmer and longer-lasting erection.

How long do the effects of vardenafil last?

Vardenafil becomes active in the body in as little as 30 minutes after taking it, and it can remain active for up to five hours. This means that within the five hours that it is active, you can enjoy sexual intercourse with confidence. It is important to remember, however, that this medication will not be effective if a man is not aroused. For the PDE-5 inhibitors to work, there needs to be PDE-5 in the bloodstream, and that is only around if a man is sexually aroused first.

More information about Levitra

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