MAGNESIUM-DEFICIENCY AND THE CARDIOVASCULAR-SYSTEM

Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining the structural and fu nctional integrity of the cardiovascular system. Its influence on card iac ion channels has immense clinical implications and is the subject of several incisive investigations. Magnesium deficiency may lead to a wide spectrum of vascular and cardiac complications. This article rev iews evidence that magnesium deficiency promotes hypercoagulability of blood, atherogenesis, vasoconstriction, cardiac arrhythmias and cardi ac muscle damage. Mechanisms underlying these effects are briefly disc ussed. Further, it is proposed that the myocardial lesions of chronic magnesium deficiency may result from recurrent episodes of mild ischae mia and reperfusion and consequent free-radical generation.