Intracellular magnesium predicts functional capacity in patients with coronary artery disease

To determine whether increased intracellular levels of magnesium ([Mg](i)) are associated with enhanced functional capacity, we performed symptom-limi ted exercise treadmill testing on 42 stable coronary artery disease (CAD) p atients (37 men, 5 women, mean age 68 +/- 9 years). [Mg](i) was found to be an independent and significant predictor of exercise duration (R = 0.31, p = 0.02) in a multivariate stepwise regression model. Patients with > norma l [Mg](i) of 1.23 mu g/mg protein (n = 13) had a significantly greater mean functional capacity, measured in higher achieved metabolic equivalents (10 .6 +/- 2.5 vs. 8.9 +/- 2.3, p < 0.05) and exercise duration (9.4 +/- 2.3 vs . 7.9 +/- 2.2 min, p < 0.05) compared to patients with [Mg](i) less than or equal to the normal (n = 29). Thus, functional capacity is greater in stab le CAD patients with higher [Mg](i), suggesting that magnesium may play a r ole in CAD pathophysiology, possibly via ventricular unloading.