Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25994194›Full record

SynthesisEuropean radiology2015

Sublingual Nitroglycerin Administration in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: a Systematic Review.

Richard A P Takx, Dominika Suchá, Jakob Park, Tim Leiner, Udo Hoffmann

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European radiology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Observational
  5. Usefulness of FFR-CT to exclude haemodynamically significant lesions in high-risk NSTE-ACS.EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Observational
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Richard A P TakxCardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. rtakx@umcutrecht.nl.
Dominika SucháDepartment of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, P.O. Box 85500, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Jakob ParkCardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Tim LeinerDepartment of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, P.O. Box 85500, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Udo HoffmannCardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

Cardiac MR and CT ResearchT32HL076136 · NHLBI · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI NEILAN, TOMAS G · 2004 to 2019
$4.9M
Cardiovascular Imaging in Ischemic Heart DiseaseK24HL113128 · NHLBI · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI HOFFMANN, UDO · 2012 to 2020
$1.1M
NHLBI NIH HHS K24 HL113128NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL076136
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo systematically investigate the literature for the influence of sublingual nitroglycerin administration on coronary diameter, the number of evaluable segments, image quality, heart rate and blood pressure, and diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography.

methodsA systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. The studies were evaluated for the effect of sublingual nitroglycerin on coronary artery diameter, evaluable segments, objective and subjective image quality, systemic physiological effects and diagnostic accuracy. Due to the heterogeneous reporting of outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was applied.

resultsOf the 217 studies identified, nine met the inclusion criteria: seven reported on the effect of nitroglycerin on coronary artery diameter, six on evaluable segments, four on image quality, five on systemic physiological effects and two on diagnostic accuracy. Sublingual nitroglycerin administration resulted in an improved evaluation of more coronary segments, in particular, in smaller coronary branches, better image quality and improved diagnostic accuracy. Side effects were mild and were alleviated without medical intervention.

conclusionSublingual nitroglycerin improves the coronary diameter, the number of assessable segments, image quality and diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography without major side effects or systemic physiological changes. KEY POINTS: • Sublingual nitroglycerin administration results in significant coronary artery dilatation. • Nitroglycerin increases the number of evaluable coronary branches. • Image quality is improved the most in smaller coronary branches. • Nitroglycerin increases the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography. • Most side effects are mild and do not require medical intervention.

Indexed as

Coronary AngiographyTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdministration, SublingualBlood PressureCoronary VesselsHeart RateHumansNitroglycerinNitroglycerinComputed tomographyCoronary artery diseaseCoronary CT angiographyCoronary vasodilationNitroglycerin

Identifiers

PMID25994194
PMCPMC4636517

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.