Who first used nitroglycerin for angina?

Nitroglycerin was first used by the English physician, clinical pharmacologist, and toxicologist William Murrell to treat angina attacks in 1878, with the discovery of the interaction published that same year.

Nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate) is available in tablets, ointment, solution for intravenous use, transdermal patches, or sprays administered sublingually. Some forms of nitroglycerin last much longer in the body than others. It has been shown that continuous exposure to nitrates can cause the body to stop responding normally to this medicine. Experts recommend that the patches be removed at night, allowing the body a few hours to restore its responsiveness to nitrates. Shorter-acting preparations can be used several times a day with less risk of the body's getting used to this drug.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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8 Comments

JRW

Nitroglycerin seems to be flavour of the month! This is the third question about it in the past fortnight. I do recall my father wearing a transdermal patch when he was hospitalised with angina in the 1970s. Interesting that it is still used effectively today.

Shelley Welch Dunivan

Carol Lauter, Apparently not that many other people did either

Chris Braid

Always got my GTN spray to hand. Unfortunately.

Louella Wilson

Jorge Arenas Calderon, Google doe not say anything. It is a search engine finding sites that may have something to say about a subject. I think you will find the incomplete statement quoted is from Wikipedia.

David Holmes

I carry a sublingual spray. When the cardiologist prescribed it he said that nitroglycerin had been used for angina since the 1800s.

Jennifer Dyster

The Wages of Fear black and white movie set in South America was my introduction to nitroglycerin . A terrible remake has been done. The original movie was brilliant