Magnesium calms the electrical system and helps slow the heart rate. So while it may not treat the atrial fibrillation, there is a correlation between magnesium and maintenance of a normal heart rhythm. Magnesium may have a positive effect on blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Results. Patients that received magnesium had a lower mean heart rate (85 BPM versus 96 BPM, P<0.05) 24 hours after onset of the episode.
Severe magnesium toxicity may also lead to irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest in some people. While magnesium supplements are generally well tolerated, they can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Magnesium Helps Your Heart Keep the Beat
Magnesium is central to a healthy heart rhythm because it's involved in transporting other electrolytes, such as calcium and potassium, into cells. Electrolytes are all-important for nerve signals and the muscle contractions of a normal heartbeat.
In the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias of varying genesis, an "observational study" in 1,160 patients showed that a high-dose oral magnesium preparation (Magnesium-Diasporal N 300 Granulat) was effective. In 82% of the patients observed, a dose of at least 300 mg magnesium/day produced good to very good results.
Omega-3 fatty acids, a class of essential nutrients primarily found in fish oil consisting of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been consistently shown to lower heart rate (Grimsgaard et al., 1998).
You can also try to slow your heart rate via breathing and relaxation techniques, by practicing other mind/body therapies such as biofeedback, or by taking supplemental calcium and magnesium. For women, start with 100 mg of magnesium (citrate, glycinate, or chelate) and increase the dose up to 350 mg daily.
Conditions that can slow electrical impulses through the heart. Examples include having a low thyroid level (hypothyroidism) or an electrolyte imbalance, such as too much potassium in the blood.
Just as it helps nerve function throughout the body, magnesium is important for coordinating the activity of the heart muscle and the nerves that initiate the heartbeat. If your magnesium levels are low, you are more likely to be at risk for arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and heart palpitations.
Causes of bradycardia
Metabolic problems such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) Damage to the heart from aging, heart disease or heart attack. Certain heart medications that can cause bradycardia as a side effect. Congenital heart defects (present at birth)
High doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. In addition, the magnesium in supplements can interact with some types of antibiotics and other medicines.
Nassar says that taking a magnesium supplement every day likely isn't unsafe for most people. Just be sure you're not taking too much magnesium. The maximum dietary allowance for most adults is around 400 mg or less.
Be prepared to provide your doctor with a list of prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and any herbal or vitamin supplements that you are taking, in addition to the dosage for each. This is very important as many medications and supplements can cause changes in heart rate, including bradycardia.
In the heart, magnesium plays a key role in modulating neuronal excitation, intracardiac conduction, and myocardial contraction by regulating a number of ion transporters, including potassium and calcium channels.
Magnesium is of great importance in cardiac arrhythmias. It increases the ventricular threshold for fibrillation. Sinus node refractoriness and conduction in the AV node are both prolonged.
We found that magnesium taurate is supposed to help heart palpitations.
Low heart rate, or bradycardia, is a heart rate below 60 beats per minute. But a low rate is not always a sign of a problem. Bradycardia is often not a cause for concern when it is not causing any symptoms. And it can even be a sign of good cardiovascular fitness that allows the heart to pump more efficiently.
In people who are not physically active, a resting heart rate below 60 is sometimes a sign of an electrical problem with the heart, a low thyroid level (hypothyroidism), or damage from a heart attack or heart disease.
Summary: Bradycardia -- a slower than normal heartbeat -- does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study.
The normal range is between 50 and 100 beats per minute. If your resting heart rate is above 100, it's called tachycardia; below 60, and it's called bradycardia. Increasingly, experts pin an ideal resting heart rate at between 50 to 70 beats per minute.
People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium before speaking with their health care provider. Overdose. Signs of a magnesium overdose can include nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal.