Effects of Acute and Chronic Administration of Isosorbide Dinitrate, Sustained-Release Form, in Patients with Angina Pectoris

Based on clinical studies of long-term treatment with orally administered nitrates indicating a reduction in the rate of anginal attacks, nitrate consumption, or ST-segment depression as well as an increased exercise capacity, this regimen has been considered useful in the prophylactic treatment of angina pectoris [2, 4, 8, 12]. Moreover, it has been reported that during chronic treatment with nitrates, acute administration of an additional dose, regardless of application form, favorably influences the rate of anginal attacks as well as ST-segment depression and the duration of exercise with maintained efficacy [1, 3, 9]. Apparently discrepant are the withdrawal symptoms, resulting from developed tolerance and observed in industrial workers chronically exposed to nitrates, the mechanism of which has been attributed to a resetting of vascular reactivity [7].