http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040430.html
I read the thread because of my interst in cardology. I’m a paramedic so I always find reading anything on the subject. Once I read through the thread, I couldn’t help thinking that Cecil had missed something imporntant…
Through all of my paramedic classes and continuing education there after, my instructors stressed that while nirto does dilate the vessles to the heart, allowing more bloodflow, the major thing that the nitro does is allow the heart to work less.
Nitro actually dilates all of the blood vessles in the body. By doing so, it reduces the preload on the heart. That means that there is less pressure exerted on the heart by the arteries. Less pressure means the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood. This reduces the oxygen demand, reducing the oxygen deman means that more heart cells get to live, and the pain goes down.
Any other ideas?