The role of magnesium in cardiac arrhythmias

Magnesium plays an essential role in many fundamental biological reactions, as it is involved in more than 300 metabolic reactions. Deficiency of magnesium may result in many disorders, including cardiac arrhythmias. As intravenous magnesium has a high therapeutic to toxic ratio and a minimal negative inotropic effect, it has long been used in treatment and prevention of cardiac arrhythmias. Several studies have shown the beneficial effect of intravenous infusion of Mg during an attack of supraventricular tachycardia, indicating that the effectiveness of magnesium depends on the type of tachycardia. Magnesium has also an advantageous effect in the case of atrial fibrillation, considered a criterion of the effectiveness of atrial fibrillation acute treatment at the ventricular rate ≤ 100 min–1. As intravenous magnesium seems to be useful in prevention and treatment of various cardiac arrhythmias, it is a common component of a complex antiarrhythmic therapy.