Editorials

Magnesium in acute myocardial infarction

Clinical investigators have long pursued the elusive dream of finding a cheap, safe treatment that reduces mortality and morbidity in a common condition. Many investigators had hoped that magnesium given intravenously to patients with acute myocardial infarction might be such a treatment. Were they justified?

Small trials reporting the use of magnesium in acute myocardial infarction have been reported intermittently for 20 years. The rationale for these studies came partly from observations of differences in heart attack rates associated with geographical variations in magnesium in the water supply and partly from laboratory studies showing that magnesium had cardioprotective effects during ischaemia and that myocardial magnesium concentrations were relatively low during acute ischaemia.¹

Research on animals has shown that magnesium is a peripheral and coronary vasodilator, has antiarrhythmic effects, decreases reperfusion injury, and has antiplatelet effects in some species.¹ The clinical importance . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Magnesium in acute myocardial infarction

Kent L Woods and D B Barnett
BMJ 1995 310: 1669-1670. [Extract] [Full Text]

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