PMID: 6536839Jan 1, 1984Paper

Interactions of magnesium and potassium in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease

Magnesium
J P Sheehan, M S Seelig

Abstract

The interactions of Mg and K in cardiovascular disease are diverse and complex. However, Mg deficiency and loss from the heart and arteries, caused e.g. by dietary deficiency or imbalance, or by diseases and their treatment, can contribute to cardiovascular damage, and to functional abnormalities. Although Mg deficiency interferes with K retention, it is seldom measured in routine clinical practice, and the need to correct low Mg levels, in order to replete K, is rarely considered. The heart, with its high metabolic activity, is particularly vulnerable to Mg deficiency or loss because of the importance of Mg in mitochondrial structure and enzymatic function. The need for Mg to activate Na/K ATPase has long been known. Mg has also been shown to be structurally part of the enzyme in cardiac mitochondria. Additionally, Na/K exchange occurs in association with phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, reactions that are also Mg-dependent. The demonstration that Mg modulates K+/proton (H+) exchange, and that cation selectivity in Na+ and K+ exchange for H+ is highly dependent on the concentration of Mg++, provides new insights into how Mg protects against K loss. The loss of myocardial K that results from Mg deficiency contributes to e...Continue Reading

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