Abstract
Two electrocardiographic methods have been devised to test the effectiveness of nitrate compounds—the stress-related electrocardiographic index and the orthostatic electrocardiographic index. A comparison of the data derived by the two procedures reveals similar findings with respect to the onset and duration of action of glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide dinitrate and erythrityl tetranitrate. Reasons are suggested for the disparate results obtained for a fourth nitrate compound, pentaerythritol tetranitrate.