Health
Viagra Alternative Shows Promise
A new class of impotence drugs may be stronger and have fewer side effects than Viagra, according to a study in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. The compounds have not yet undergone human testing, but researchers believe the study results are promising.
Viagra works by blocking the action of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 in penile tissue. Phosphodiesterase has several different forms. And researchers believe that Viagra doesn't differentiate between them, which may cause side effects such as facial flushing and visual disturbances.
Attempting to ease Viagra's side effects, researchers found a new class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors that block the critical enzyme without affecting the other phosphodiesterase forms. The researchers tested the inhibitors on animals.
The drugs also proved to be more potent than Viagra, researchers found, which means less drugs could be ingested for the same result. And because the drugs targeted only one phosphodiesterase form, the side effects decreased.
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Viagra works by blocking the action of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 in penile tissue. Phosphodiesterase has several different forms. And researchers believe that Viagra doesn't differentiate between them, which may cause side effects such as facial flushing and visual disturbances.
Attempting to ease Viagra's side effects, researchers found a new class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors that block the critical enzyme without affecting the other phosphodiesterase forms. The researchers tested the inhibitors on animals.
The drugs also proved to be more potent than Viagra, researchers found, which means less drugs could be ingested for the same result. And because the drugs targeted only one phosphodiesterase form, the side effects decreased.
- - - - -
For today's top stories and breaking news, click to the ThirdAge Top 100.
