Cardiovascular Drugs USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 58-year-old man with a 2-year history of exertional chest pain presents with acute substernal pressure. Vital signs: BP 165/95 mmHg, HR 102 bpm, RR 16, SpO2 98% on room air. He takes sublingual nitroglycerin, which relieves symptoms within 3 minutes. Troponin is negative. He denies dyspnea. Which hemodynamic change most directly contributes to this drug's benefit in stable angina?
Answer choices
- AInhibition of platelet aggregation only
- BReduced preload from venodilationCorrect answer
- CMarked slowing of AV nodal conduction
- DIncreased afterload from arteriolar constriction
- EDirect increase in myocardial contractility
- FDirect negative chronotropic effect on the sinoatrial node
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