Category Archives: Nitroglycerin Patches

Starting incline and speed were individualized and were chosen so that angina was provoked during the second 3-minute stage. Exercise was performed until the patient signaled the onset of definite angina, at which point the timer was stopped. Training to the point of stable performance (onset of angina at a constant time ±30 s) typically required 10 to 15 exercise bouts to angina over a 2 to 3 week period. Between the beginning and the end of the training period, there was usually an improvement of at least one 3-minute stage in exercise capacity. (more…)

Patients and Methods Patients Eight men, aged 47 to 68 years, with classic exertional angina pectoris were studied. Reproducible provocation of typical anginal pain accompanied by at least 1 mm of horizontal ST depression during treadmill exercise was present in each patient. Five of the patients had documentation of coronary artery disease by coronary arteriography, and four had suffered a previous myocardial infarction. One patient had undergone coronary bypass surgery. Only one patient had neither angiography nor previous myocardial infarction. None of the patients had hypertension or evidence of congestive heart failure, and no patient suffered from any condition contraindicating ($-blocker therapy. (more…)

Although the recently introduced patches containing nitroglycerin for transdermal absorption have already gained widespread use in the treatment of angina pectoris, convincing evidence as to their efficacy has yet to accumulate. Major unresolved questions concern the patch area (dose) necessary to achieve an antianginal effect, whether such an effect, once achieved, will be sustained throughout the day, and whether tolerance during long-term use will totally or partially neutralize any initial therapeutic effect. (more…)