Benefits of Magnesium: Heart Conditions
The American Heart Association reports that over 60 million Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Magnesium deficiency has been shown to be associated with a number of cardiovascular problems*, including:
High blood pressure
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Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between dietary magnesium intake and blood pressure1. |
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Magnesium is also considered to be a natural calcium-channel
blocker and vasodilator2 which may be
helpful for patients with mild hypertension. |
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Many diuretics, often used for patients with high blood pressure,
cause potassium and magnesium depletion. Often times magnesium supplements are prescribed for patients taking thiazide and loop diuretics3. |
Heart attacks4
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A number of heart attack patients have been found to have low magnesium levels. |
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Magnesium, which has calcium channel blocking properties may promote
myocardial salvage. |
Abnormal heart rhythms
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Studies have linked magnesium depletion with tachycardia and other abnormal heart rhythms5. |
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Low magnesium levels may play a significant role in the high prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure6. |
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
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Epidemiological evidence that links magnesium deficiency to coronary artery disease has been investigated for over 30 years7. |
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Magnesium may be justified as an adjuvant therapy for CAD patients8. |
Diabetes
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Magnesium depletion may cause a worsening of the diabetic condition because of the influence of magnesium on insulin function and glucose metabolism9. |
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Chronic magnesium supplementation produced a significant
reduction of plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and an increase of HDL cholesterol. These results
suggest that oral supplementation of magnesium may be helpful for hyperlipidemia patients with
non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus10. |
1 Kawano Y, Matsuoka H, Takishita S, Omae T.
Effects of magnesium supplementation in hypertensive patients: assessment by office,
home, and ambulatory blood pressures. Hypertension. 1998 Aug;32(2):260-5.
2 Shechter M, Sharir M, Labrador MJ, Forrester J, Silver B, Bairey Merz CN.
Oral magnesium therapy improves endothelial function in
patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation. 2000 Nov 7;102(19):2353-8.
3 Hollifield, JW. Thizide. Treatment of Hypertension: Effects of Thiazide
Diuretics on Serum Potassium, Magnesium, and Ventricular Ectopy. Am J Med. 1986 Apr 25;(80):8-12.
4 McCord J, Borzak S. Magnesium for myocardial infarction?
Hosp Pract (Off Ed). 1994 Aug 15;29(8):47-9, 53, 57.
5 Arsenian MA. Magnesium and cardiovascular disease. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 1993 Jan-Feb;35(4):271-310.
6 Karppanen H. Epidemiological studies on the relationship between magnesium intake and cardiovascular diseases. Artery. 1981;9(3):190-9.
7 Shechter M, Sharir M, Labrador MJ, Forrester J, Silver B, Bairey Merz CN.
Oral magnesium therapy improves endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease.
Circulation. 2000 Nov 7;102(19):2353-8.
8 Shechter M, Sharir M, Labrador MJ, Forrester J, Silver B, Bairey Merz CN.
Oral magnesium therapy improves endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation. 2000 Nov 7;102(19):2353-8.
9 Campbell RK, Nadler J. Magnesium deficiency and diabetes. Diabetes Educ. 1992 Jan-Feb;18(1):17-9.
10 Corica F, Allegra A, Di Benedetto A, Giacobbe MS, Romano G, Cucinotta D, Buemi M, Ceruso D.
Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on plasma lipid concentrations in patients
with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Magnes Res. 1994 Mar;7(1):43-7.