Final answer:
Oral nitrate is primarily used to treat chest pain known as angina, which results from reduced blood supply to the heart muscle. It works by releasing nitric oxide and causing vasodilation to improve blood flow. It is also used in the immediate treatment of myocardial infarction and should be used cautiously with certain other medications.
Step-by-step explanation:
Oral nitrate is used to treat symptoms of various cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure (hypertension), heart failure, and particularly is effective in the management of chest pain known as angina pectoris.
Oftentimes, angina is the result of reduced blood supply to the heart muscle, and oral nitrates like nitroglycerin play a crucial role in alleviating these symptoms. Nitroglycerin acts by releasing nitric oxide, which then leads to vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow to the heart muscle and reducing the load on the heart.
It's worth noting that while oral nitrates are beneficial for angina, they are also part of the immediate treatment protocol for myocardial infarction (MI), alongside other therapies like oxygen supplementation, aspirin, and thrombolytic agents. However, patients with cardiac conditions who are taking nitrates should exercise caution if using PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil (Viagra), due to potential severe interactions.