Relationship with magnesium
Together with calcium and potassium, magnesium regulates the electrical excitability of the muscle cells and thus also influences the processes in the heart muscle. A blood magnesium level in the normal range of 0.75-1.05mmol/l prevents excessive electrical excitability and thus contributes to the electrical stability of the heart muscle cells, thus a magnesium level in this range prevents cardiac arrhythmia. A magnesium level that is too low consequently leads to increased electrical excitability, which in the simplest case manifests itself in harmless extrasystoles, but can also cause dangerous rhythm disturbances such as ventricular fibrillation.
Nevertheless, nobody should take magnesium supplements for fear of a magnesium deficiency. Only a magnesium deficiency that has actually been confirmed by a doctor should lead to the intake of magnesium-containing medication. Diuretics (drugs that promote water excretion via the kidneys) and some blood pressure medications can lead to a magnesium deficiency.
Patients taking these preparations should have their magnesium balance checked twice a year to prevent extrasystoles. Regular monitoring is also recommended for patients with heart disease, as their heart muscle can react much more sensitively to electrolyte fluctuations. In general, the prognosis for extrasystoles is very good, as they often have no disease value and are also very common in healthy people and do not cause any symptoms.
However, if more than 20 extrasystoles occur during one hour, a heart condition not yet detected should be excluded as the cause even without further symptoms. If, however, the extrasystoles are already due to an organic cause, this should be identified and treated causally in order to prevent the very strong and frequent occurrence of extrasystoles from leading to ventricular fibrillation or sudden cardiac death in a damaged heart.
All articles in this series:
