Nitroglycerine, a 100 year old explosive and heart medicine

In atherosclerosis, plaques reduce blood flow in the arteries. This decreases oxygen supply to the heart muscle causing chest pain (angina pectoris) and sometimes even myocardial infarction. Treatment with nitroglycerine provides NO, dilates the vessels, and increases blood flow. Thanks to this year’s Nobel Laureates we now understand how nitroglycerine, an important heart medicine, works. It acts as a NO donor, causes dilation of the blood vessels, increases oxygen supply and protects the heart from damage and cell death.

To cite this section
MLA style: Nitroglycerine, a 100 year old explosive and heart medicine. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Fri. 15 Nov 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1998/7549-nitroglycerine-a-100-year-old-explosive-and-heart-medicine/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Nobel Prizes 2024

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.

See them all presented here.

Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.