Erectile dysfunction is a medical condition that affects a large percentage of men, as it has been estimated that about 30 million of men in the US alone are suffering from one from of ED or another. In large majority of these cases, the condition is caused by increased levels of PDE5, or at least by the overactivity of this enzyme. This enzyme does its job by promoting the deterioration of cGMP, a chemical which dilates the blood vessels in the genital area. When this chemical is deteriorated, not enough blood gets into the penis, and it becomes impossible to achieve and/or maintain an erection.
For a while, the only way to address erectile dysfunction was by using different natural medications that were not really that efficient. Their efficiency mostly depended on the placebo effect of these medications. However, the placebo effects were not enough if the problem was physiological in nature. However, in 1998, sildenafil came out, the first PDE5 inhibitor, better known as Viagra.
In 2003, the choice was made possible when first Vardenafil and then Tadalafil got their approval and became marketed under the names Levitra and Cialis, respectively. Vardenafil was approved just a few months before Tadalafil and all of a sudden there were three medications on the market, all advertised for the same condition, manufactured by different companies and holding some unique properties.
As volumes have already been said about Viagra, i.e. Sildenafil, this article will be dedicated to the comparison between Tadalafil and Vardenafil, the new medications on the market. The simple fact is that Vardenafil does not differ that much from sildenafil and it is only a slight improvement, with some side effects being less probable when taking it and the half-life of the medication being slightly longer, which means that the effects of Vardenafil last somewhat longer than those of sildenafil.
On the other hand, Tadalafil is a whole different story. Namely, the selectivity of the medication was much improved, which means that the side effects are much less probable when taking Tadalafil than when taking Vardenafil. However, the most important difference between these two arises from the duration of their beneficial effects.
Namely, Vardenafil lasts only slightly longer than sildenafil, some 6 to 8 hours, while Tadalafil lasts for as much as 36 hours in some cases. In reality, it is more likely to last for about 24, which is still a great feat and which makes a lot of difference. First of all, it is much easier to plan sexual activities when taking Tadalafil, as you do not need to carefully time the taking of the medication. In fact, you can take the pill in the morning and you are covered for the day. There is now ever Tadalafil for daily use on the market, advertised as the first ED medication that is to be taken on daily basis. This means that you take one pill of Tadalafil for daily use in the morning and you do not have to think about it for the rest of the day. It is taken like any other medication for any other condition.