[Organic nitrates: still interesting after all these years]

Organic nitrates remain among the oldest and most commonly employed drugs in cardiology. Despite that, the mechanisms of action, pharmacology, and, most importantly, side effects, were described only recently. We believe that all physicians should be aware of these lines of evidence. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the impact of nitrate therapy on mortality and morbidity. Paradoxically, more than 150 years after introduction in the market, these data are not yet available. The present review focuses on the recent findings in this field and on future lines of research.