Magnesium in ischaemic heart disease

ABSTRACT

Hypomagnesaemia increases the incidence of not only cardiovascular disease but also sudden cardiac death. 225 known cases of ischaemic heart disease [IHD] and 100 healthy controls [45-55 years age] were included in this study and their serum magnesium was measured. It was observed that lower serum Mg" was present in IHD patients. The patients were distributed as normotensives and hypertensives on the 95th percentile of the blood pressure of healthy controls. The low Mg was significant in both when compared to control, but it was not so when normotensive IHD patients were compared to hypertensive IHD patients. These results suggest that hypomagnesaemia, irrespective of blood pressure levels, is an independent risk factor for ischaemic heart disease. Furthermore, hypomagnesaemia appears to be an indicator for the severity of ischaemic lesions of the myocardium