Question

"How does nitroglycerin relieve ischemic cardiac chest pain?

A) By increasing cardiac preload
B) By increasing peripheral vascular resistance
C) By reducing cardiac preload
D) By decreasing myocardial oxygen consumption"

Answer 1

Nitroglycerin relieves ischemic cardiac chest pain by reducing cardiac preload. It does so by dilating blood vessels, which decreases the workload on the heart and the amount of oxygen needed by the heart muscle.

Step-by-step explanation:

Nitroglycerin is a medication used to alleviate chest pain or angina caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, which results in inadequate oxygen delivery to the heart cells. This condition is known as ischemia. The question asks, "How does nitroglycerin relieve ischemic cardiac chest pain?" The correct answer is C) By reducing cardiac preload. Nitroglycerin works by releasing nitric oxide, a vasodilator that relaxes the smooth muscles in the blood vessels. As a result, it causes dilation of the coronary arteries as well as systemic vasodilation, which reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, thus decreasing cardiac preload. This reduction in preload effectively lowers the workload on the heart and the amount of oxygen needed by the heart muscle, easing the chest pain associated with angina.