DIABETES AND LEVITRA BENEFITS

Diabetes is one of the leading causes behind erectile dysfunction as a man with diabetes is three times more likely to have ED than any other person. Men with diabetes notice the onset of ED within 10 years of their diagnosis. Erectile dysfunction signs are visible in nine percent diabetic men between age 20 and 29 years and goes up to 95 percent by age 70. According to Martyn A. Vickers, MD, Chief of Surgery, Togus ( Maine ) VA Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Urology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, ED is more frequent among men with diabetes type 2 than among those with type 1. Men whose sugar level in the blood is high or not well controlled are more prone to experience problems with erection in comparison to those who keep the glucose level under control.

There are many factors that contribute to ED in the diabetic population. The most common are physical problems such as

• Blood vessel and nerve damage. Blood sugar builds up in the blood causing damage to the blood vessels and nerves. The damaged nerves to the penis are not able to carry signals for an erection and also limit blood flow to the penis.
• Diabetes leads to low level of testosterone which is a risk factor for ED in diabetic men.
• Diabetic men have lower intracavernosal levels of nitric oxide synthase.
• Some treatments of diabetes cause high blood pressure, anxiety and ulcers which contribute to erectile dysfunction.

Study results presented at the American Diabetes Association in Orlando , Florida say that Bayer & GlaxoSmithKline's Levitra (Vardenafil) is beneficial to diabetic men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction at mild to severe level.

The study is referred to as the PROVEN meaning Patient Response with VardENafil in Sildenafil Non-Responders trial. The research was an evaluation of the effects of Levitra on men with erectile dysfunction who did not respond to Viagra medication previously. It further reviewed the development of penile erection in a subcategory of 138 men with diabetes as well as ED and a history of unresponsiveness to Viagra. These category was classified on the basis of medical history of the diabetic patients, laboratory values (HbA1c>8%), and medication data.

All the participants had experienced at least one unsuccessful attempt with the highest available dose of Viagra which is of 100 milligrams. Moreover, they all had previously failed in at least four times of the prior six attempts to accomplish a successful intercourse with Viagra. The Levitra medication proved effective for men with diabetes on the very first attempt who had not been helped by Viagra.

The researchers found that the diabetic men who took Levitra showed a statistically significant improvement compared with those who were given placebo. The study results presented that 58% of diabetic men experienced superior erections with Levitra compared with placebo.

To conclude the results of PROVEN trial, men with diabetes were able to experience successful sexual intercourse on 33% of attempts with Levitra, in comparison with only 6% of attempts with other treatments. Dr. Alan Garber, professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at Baylor College of Medicine points out at the importance of the PROVEN trial which shows that Vardenafil is a successful treatment option for ED in the ‘difficult-to-treat' diabetic population, in whom other treatments most of the time have not been successful.