Nitroglycerin belongs to which drug class?

Prepare for emergency medicine exams with our comprehensive test. Explore multiple choice questions, receive hints and explanations. Sharpen your knowledge and ensure success!

Multiple Choice

Nitroglycerin belongs to which drug class?

Explanation:
Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator. It releases nitric oxide, which relaxes vascular smooth muscle by increasing cGMP. This mostly causes venodilation, lowering preload and thus myocardial oxygen demand; at higher doses it can also dilate arteries to reduce afterload. This mechanism makes it useful for relieving angina and in some acute coronary situations. It’s not a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor, or diuretic, which act by reducing heart rate/contractility, inhibiting the renin–angiotensin system, or promoting fluid loss, respectively.

Nitroglycerin is a nitrate vasodilator. It releases nitric oxide, which relaxes vascular smooth muscle by increasing cGMP. This mostly causes venodilation, lowering preload and thus myocardial oxygen demand; at higher doses it can also dilate arteries to reduce afterload. This mechanism makes it useful for relieving angina and in some acute coronary situations. It’s not a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor, or diuretic, which act by reducing heart rate/contractility, inhibiting the renin–angiotensin system, or promoting fluid loss, respectively.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy