QUICK! If You Have a Heart Attack, Request IV Magnesium

If you’re ever rushed to the hospital with a heart attack, intravenous (IV) magnesium could save your life. In a landmark double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Israeli researchers gave IV magnesium to half of 194 patients suffering from acute heart attacks. The in-hospital death rate of those receiving magnesium was one-fourth that of those who received standard treatment alone.

In 2003, a follow-up study of these patients revealed an enduring beneficial effect of magnesium treatment. Compared to the group who received magnesium, nearly twice as many patients in the placebo group had died from heart disease or other causes, and there were considerably more cases of heart failure and impaired heart function those who did not receive IV magnesium treatment.

In addition to increasing survival after heart attack, IV magnesium smoothes out arrhythmias and improves outcomes in patients undergoing angioplasty with stent placement. It is also beneficial for acute asthma attacks, often working to relax airways when drugs are ineffective.

IV magnesium can also provide rapid relief from migraine headaches, and it is indispensable in the treatment of preeclampsia (pregnancy-related hypertension). In a perfect world, IV magnesium would be a standard therapy in all hospitals. Learn more about IV therapies.

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