Viagra might treat heart failure

The latest studies revealed that Viagra, the number one impotence drug in the world, is a great way to help patients suffering from diastolic heart failure.

This condition is characterized by abnormally inflexive ventricles that cannot get enough blood, which causes breathing difficulties.

Viagra is used to relax the heart due to the special enzyme that affects heart muscle cells.

The author of the study, Dr. Wolfgang Linke of the Ruhr Universitat Bochum in Bochum, Germany, said: “We have developed a therapy in an animal model that, for the first time, also raises hopes for the successful treatment of patients.”

The results of the study, which was held among dogs with diastolic heart failure, were published in late December in the Circulation journal.

Dr. Wolfgang Linke highlighted that the scientists already have “a molecular mechanism on hand to explain the effect” behind Viagra and that they plan to continue with the research.

Viagra

Brits suffering from erectile dysfunction might soon face a restricted availability of ED drugs prescriptions under the National Health Service program.

Currently, NHS PCTs (primary care trusts) in a number of counties, including Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Berkshire East, Berkshire West and Buckinghamshire, have issued “recommendations” for general practitioners (GPs) to limit prescriptions of ED drugs. They believe that two tablets of Viagra, Levitra or Cialis a month is just enough for the patients.

Even though NHS spokespersons insist that “Any decision made by the PCT cannot prohibit prescribing, but will form a recommendation to GPs,” many GPs in fact say it is being presented as an edict.

Let’s remind that prescriptions of erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra and Cialis under the NHS scheme is already severely restricted. Only those suffering from diabetes, prostate cancer and multiple sclerosis are eligible for receiving free ED pills.

Baby Cerys with parents

The Daily Mail recently published a report, which suggests that erectile dysfunction drug #1 in the world, Viagra, helped saved another life.

This time, it was Cerys Small, a baby girl with a severe heart condition born in Newport, South Wales. The lack of blood circulation almost resulted in the baby’s death as the girl lived through 3 heart surgeries, none of which helped.

It was Viagra, the popular treatment for erectile dysfunction, that helped improve the blood circulation in the baby Cerys Small.

Since the baby has other health problems, which include but are not limited to complications with stomach and bowels, she will need to have further operations.

The girl will be prescribed Viagra till she reaches 5 years old and becomes strong enough to survive through a series of other surgeries.

Cerys’ family is very grateful to the doctors at the Bristol hospital who helped saved the baby’s life. So, the family members (Kerrie the mother, Gareth the father, and Evan and Megan the siblings) have raised 1,750 pounds ($2,730) to buy new equipment for the Bristol hospital.

Sexy drinks are dangerous

Today, on July 18th, Food Standards Australia New Zealand issued a warning to all men looking to improve their sex lives.

They were recommended to steer clear of so-called “sexy drinks” like Sexpresso and Rock Hard, which are based on caffeine and analogues of Viagra.

The watchdog held several tests of these drinks, which proved that a substance similar to Viagra’s active ingredient, sildenafil, is contained in both drinks. It is important to note that, according to Australian laws, adding such substances to foods and drinks is illegal, which is probably the reason why the drug was not listed as an ingredient on the labels of Sexpresso and Rock Hard.

Commenting on the possible danger these drinks pose to men’s health, experts at Food Standards Australia New Zealand said that “consumers who are using this product should stop taking it immediately and speak to a doctor if they are experiencing side effects.” They also highlighted that men and women should be extremely careful about foods and drinks that are sold without prescription and claim to treat physical conditions. Consumption of such foods and drinks can only be possible upon approval from a doctor.

Cialis and eye problems

A study financed by Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Cialis, revealed that there is no link between eye problems and the use of PDE-5 erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis.

The study was carried out for 6 months and involved 250 men. Men were split into 3 groups, one of which received daily dosage of Cialis, and two others – daily dosage of Viagra and placebo medication accordingly.

Of 250 men, only 194 finished the program and demonstrated no significant vision changes.

The results of the research were published in Archives of Ophthalmology.

Let us remind that earlier it was reported that erectile dysfunction drugs are closely linked with blue-tinged and/or blurred vision.

According to scientists, the number of reported cases of eye problems is tiny compared to the scale of ED pills use. They also highlight that the reported cases might well be linked to the natural process eyesight changes caused by old age.

To make sure Viagra, Cialis and other ED drugs do not cause unwanted side effects, please, consult your physician.

Prime Minister of Great Britain, David Cameron, commented on the decision of Pfizer – manufacturer of Viagra – to close its research center in Sandwich.

He said that the news is depressing because many employees will be made redundant, while others will be moved to other locations.

Also, it is sad to see the “home of Viagra”, as the research center used to be referred to, disappear.

The research center in Sandwich was the largest R&D center in UK owned by Pfizer.

Announcements made by Pfizer representatives suggest that the closure of the UK-based research and development center is not due to any issue between the manufacturer and the British government. Instead, it comes along with the announcement that the budget of the pharmaceutical company would be decreased by £1.2 billion.

Let us remind that the #1 erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra, was developed in Sandwich, UK.

Male teachers in Milwaukee, WI, try to get erectile drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra back to their insurance plans by taking the school board to court.

While the whole world is doing its best to not face layoffs, the teachers union in Milwaukee, WI, is taking legal actions against the school board in an effort to have erectile drugs included into their health insurance plans.

Male employees are determined that the exclusion of drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra from their policies is discriminatory. They have been trying to argue this for the past 2 years.

The lawyers, however, believe that there is no discrimination against males and that Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs have been removed from the insurance plan in 2005 because they are used not out of medical necessity.

The annual cost of bringing Viagra, Cialis and Levitra back into the policy reaches approximately $786,000. This is the average salary of 10-12 school teachers, who are, by the way, getting layoff notices in large amounts.

Lawyers believe that the “ED money” should be spent on saving jobs and in other useful ways.

The teachers union, however, does not share the point of view of the school board lawyers. Teachers claim that erectile dysfunction oftentimes results in such serious condition as heart disease and prostate cancer. Moreover, Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are all approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the American Urological Association.

A recent study carried out by medical experts of Harvard University showed that men suffering from erectile dysfunction and taking prescribed ED medication (such as Viagra and Cialis) are 3 times more prone to having STD (sexually transmitted disease) than others.

The study published in Annals of Internal Medicine was based on the analysis of insurance claims made by men in their 40’s.

The results suggest, however, that it is the nature of men rather than erectile dysfunction drugs that lead to increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

The higher rate of STDs was seen in the year preceding and following the one that men started to take Viagra, Cialis or Levitra.

The risk of STD is 2.8 times higher in the first year that men are on ED drugs, and 2.65 in the second year.

This fact led Harvard researchers to a conclusion that patients on ED medication are more prone to have unsafe sex.

Researchers also found out that despite the fact that young men have more sexual partners than men in their 40’s, the latter have higher rate of STD because they prefer unsafe sex.

As such, the overall proportion of middle-aged men diagnosed by HIV/AIDS reaches 44%.

The authors of the research were unable to determine whether it was the sexual behavior of men on ED medication that led to higher STD rate.

Viagra is produced in 25, 50, and 100 mg tablets, which contain, respectively, 25, 59, and 100 mg of sildenafil citrate.

As opposed to other ways of erectile dysfunction treatment which consist in injections into the penis or other medical procedures, Viagra is a simple and easy-to-use preparation. When using Viagra, you just take one pill before having coitus.

The mechanism of Viagra effect is simple: the preparation increases the quantity of blood arriving to the penis. This helps a man to cause natural erection. Viagra has its effect only in thy case when a man is feeling natural sexual arousal, and when the coitus ends, the penis naturally relaxes. In other words, Viagra affects only natural mechanisms of erection and in this there’s its undeniable up-to-dateness and the secret of great popularity.

The discovery of Viagra became the third greatest “accidental” opening in medicine – after the opening of X-rays and penicillin. These discoveries were awarded Nobel Prize. This high award was also given in 1998 to the research people who discovered, in addition, the characteristics of Viagra.

The history of Viagra started in 1992 in Great Britain in the township Pfizer Sandwich in the course of pharmacology research work of Pfizer Corporation. The research people were probing the new pharmaceutical substance – Sildenafil Citrate – which was developed as the remedy for medication of some heart diseases.

The scientists expected that sildenafil citrate will promote increasing blood inflow to the cardiac muscle and lowering blood pressure. But it was noted that sildenafil citrate doesn’t influence much neither blood circulation in cardiac muscle (myocardium) nor blood pressure. At the same time it was found out that many patients of male sex taking part in the testing refused to return sildenafil pills, despite of the ending of the experiment. The reason was one among all the patients – they all noted erection recovery. Thus, in spite of the minimum influence of the new medicine on the blood circulation in myocardium, sildenafil caused perceptible blood inflow to male genital organs.

The research people of the pharmaceutical Pfizer Corporation took this unexpected quality quite seriously and managed to recognize powerful preparation for erection dysfunction combat. The new preparation was named Viagra – the name appeared as the result of junction of the words “Vigor” (power, energy, force) and Niagara – the most massive waterfall in North America.

Since 1993 prolonged clinical trials necessary for proving Viagra characteristics started. As the result of these trials high effectiveness of Viagra and its safety were proved. And after all on the 27th March, 1998 the USA Medical Supply Department approved the use of Viagra. The effect of the preparation was estimated among more than 3000 men from 19 to 87 of age during the research work of erectile dysfunctions held in all the countries of the world. The average duration of dysfunction was about 5 years (from 6 months to 26 years), while the nature of this malfunction was of organic, psychogenic, and combined psychogenic-organic origin.

The results of these research work show that Viagra is effective for erectile function recovery and for the improvement of successful coitus rates among a great number of the patients including those having diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and other concomitant clinical states, as well as among the patients taking a whole number of medicaments.

According to numerous clinical trials and testing the preparation on volunteers suffering from different types of erectile dysfunction, sildenafil citrate is quite effective. But some nuances should be noted.

Unfortunately, there exists no preparation able to treat all the diseases, in this case all the types of erectile dysfunction. Viagra isn’t a panacea either; it can help in the majority of cases, but not all the patients. Viagra is effective among the patients suffering from atherosclerosis, the injury of nerves of penis vessels, or diabetes.

Moderate results are observed among the patients with pathological venous drainage. In each of the enumerated cases only a doctor can organize erectile dysfunction treatment in the right way. He can prescribe the necessary treatment regimen and choose the best medicine.

So, in order to heighten the level of cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the organism a simple enzyme blocking method able to split cycling guanosine monophosphate was used.

As for the side effects of Viagra and Cialis, they are quite similar; in both cases after the preparation taking vertigo, headache, diarrhea, nausea, stuffiness in nose, and the sensation of blood inflow to the head can be felt. Besides, when taking Cialis, a pain in the small of the back, stomachache and a pain in joints can appear. As a rule all the side effects progress in the light or moderate form. You should also remember that for Cialis the possibility and the force of side effects can be decreased during its further taking.

As far as Viagra has existed at the market, there stored enough information which doesn’t speak well for this preparation. The fact that Cialis can be taken together with fat food and alcohol in small dozes says much for it. So, we can state with certainty that this time Cialis is better than Viagra, but you should keep in mind that taking some medical preparation isn’t a panacea for impotence.