Nitroglycerine and nitrates also relax the muscle within the walls of arteries throughout the body including the coronary vessels. Not only does this directly increase coronary blood flow, but it lowers blood pressure and the amount of work that the heart must do. The most popular form of nitrates besides Isordil are Sorbitrate, Cardilate, Dilatrate, and Peritrate. Diuretics Most doctors use only beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and nitrates in the treatment of angina pectoris. Few seem to be aware that one of the most effective of drugs in this condition are diuretics.
Diuretics are drugs that aid in the elimination of fluid by the kidney.
They are essential in the treatment of high blood pressure. There are sound reasons for using diuretics in the treatment of patients with chest pain or shortness of breath with exertion, even in the absence of high blood pressure. All of the drugs conventionally used for the relief of angina tend to cause fluid retention. Since such fluids are equally distributed throughout the body tissues, this can have a profound influence upon the efficacy of the most useful of the anti-anginal medications, the nitrates. Nitrates act, in part, by dilating the veins of the body.