Isosorbide dinitrate is a medication used for

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

, esophageal spasms, and to treat and prevent chest pain from not enough blood flow to the heart. It has been found to be particularly useful in heart failure due to

systolic dysfunction Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, an ...

together with hydralazine. It is taken

by mouth Oral administration is a route of administration where a substance is taken through the mouth. Per os abbreviated to P.O. is sometimes used as a direction for medication to be taken orally. Many medications are taken orally because they are i ...

or under the tongue. Common side effects include

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

, lightheadedness with standing, and

blurred vision Blurred vision is an ocular symptom where vision becomes less precise and there is added difficulty to resolve fine details. Temporary blurred vision may involve dry eyes, eye infections, alcohol poisoning, hypoglycemia, or low blood pressure ...

. Severe side effects include low blood pressure. It is unclear if use in

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

is safe for the baby. It should not be used together with

PDE5 Inhibitors A phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5 inhibitor) is a vasodilating drug that works by blocking the degradative action of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) on cyclic GMP in the smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessels supplyi ...

. Isosorbide dinitrate is in the

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are soluble in water. An example of an insolu ...

family of medications and works by dilating blood vessels. Isosorbide dinitrate was first written about in 1939. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Isosorbide dinitrate is available as a

generic medication A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active ...

. A long-acting form exists. In 2020, it was the 299th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1million prescriptions.

Medical uses

It is used for angina, in addition to other medications for congestive heart failure, and for esophageal spasms. It is available as an oral tablet both in extended release and slow release. The onset of action for Isosorbide Dinitrate is thirty minutes and the onset of action for oral extended release is 12–24 hours. Long-acting nitrates can be more useful as they are generally more effective and stable in the short term.

Side effects

Tolerance

After long-term use for treating chronic conditions, tolerance may develop in patients, reducing its effectiveness. The mechanisms of nitrate tolerance have been thoroughly investigated in the last 30 years and several hypotheses have been proposed. These include: # Impaired biotransformation of isosorbide dinitrate to its active principle NO (or a NO-related species) # Neurohormonal activation, causing sympathetic activation and release of vasoconstrictors such as endothelin and angiotensin II which counteract the vasodilation induced by isosorbide dinitrate # Plasma volume expansion # The oxidative stress hypothesis (proposed by Munzel et al. in 1995) The last hypothesis might represent a unifying hypothesis, and an isosorbide dinitrate-induced inappropriate production of oxygen free radicals might induce a number of abnormalities which include the ones described above. Furthermore, nitrate tolerance is shown to be associated with vascular abnormalities which have the potential to worsen patients prognosis: these include endothelial and autonomic dysfunction.

Other side effects

In the short run, isosorbide dinitrate can cause severe headaches, necessitating analgesic administration for relief of pain, as well as severe hypotension, and, in certain cases,

bradycardia Bradycardia (also sinus bradycardia) is a slow resting heart rate, commonly under 60 beats per minute (BPM) as determined by an electrocardiogram. It is considered to be a normal heart rate during sleep, in young and healthy or elderly adults, ...

. Rarely occurring are allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); fainting; fast or slow heartbeat; nausea; new or worsening chest pain; vomiting.

Mechanism of action

Similar to other nitrites and organic nitrates, isosorbide dinitrate is converted to

nitric oxide Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its ...

(NO), an active intermediate compound which activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase (atrial natriuretic peptide receptor A). This stimulates the synthesis of

cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate Cycle, cycles, or cyclic may refer to: Anthropology and social sciences * Cyclic history, a theory of history * Cyclical theory, a theory of American political history associated with Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. * Social cycle, various cycles in so ...

( cGMP) which then activates a series of protein kinase-dependent phosphorylations in the smooth muscle cells, eventually resulting in the dephosphorylation of the myosin light chain of the smooth muscle fiber. The subsequent sequestration of calcium ions results in the relaxation of the smooth muscle cells and vasodilation.

Society and culture

Isosorbide dinitrate is sold in the US under the brand names Dilatrate-SR by Schwarz and Isordil by Valeant, according to FDA Orange Book. In the United Kingdom, Argentina, and Hong Kong, a trade name of it is Isoket. It is also a component of

BiDil Hydralazine/isosorbide dinitrate, sold under the brand name Bidil, is a fixed-dose combination medication used to treat self-identified Black people with congestive heart failure. It is a combination of hydralazine hydrochloride (an arteriola ...

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Medicine Nitrate esters Antianginals Furofurans World Health Organization essential medicines Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate