What is Viagra and what is it for?

For more than 20 years, the "blue pill" has been one of the most famous drugs. What is Viagra and what is it for?

Sildenafil was synthesized by Pfizer to treat hypertension and angina, but caused erections in male patients instead of treating these diseases, as a result of which the developers realized that the drug could be useful in the treatment of impotence.

Let's briefly consider the principle of its operation. Phosphodiesterase type 5 or PDE5 is an enzyme present in the male body that inhibits the smooth muscle fibers that line blood vessels. Atrophy of these muscle fibers is the main cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil inhibits or suppresses the action of this enzyme and, in turn, facilitates blood flow to the arteries. Read more about the mechanism of action of PDE5 inhibitor drugs here: The best pills for potency.

Thus, sildenafil is a drug used primarily for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is also used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to clear clogged arteries in the lungs and heart and ultimately to stabilize blood pressure.

Pfizer markets Sildenafil under the brand name Viagra. In the case of PAH, the drug is sold under the brand name Revatio.

Revatio improves the functioning of the arteries of the heart and lungs, reducing high blood pressure, which is commonly seen in patients diagnosed with PAH, and Viagra uses this principle to stimulate blood flow to the penis. Although, in order for Viagra to be effective, the patient must be in a state of sexual arousal.

Although Revatio and Viagra contain sildenafil as their main ingredient, their use largely depends on the diseases in question. Revatio is administered in small doses, not exceeding 20 mg, at intervals of 4 to 6 hours, which are completely metabolized by the human body within 4 hours. Viagra is taken in doses of 50 or 100 mg, usually an hour before sexual intercourse.

Methods of administration of drugs also differ. Revatio can be administered orally or with an intravenous syringe. Viagra is taken orally in the form of tablets.