Nitrates have been for many years the cornerstone of cardiovascular therapy for various indications. Not only have nitrates stood the test of time for treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris, but the indications for them have markedly ex panded. They now include all forms of angina pectoris and myocardial ischemia, congestive heart failure and hypertensive emergencies. The beneficial effects of nitrates in all these conditions result from their vasodilatory properties, but it is still unclear whether the central or peripheral effects predominate in the thera peutic mechanism. Recently...