Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 1991;5:677-680 9 Kiuwer Academic Publishers, Boston. Printed in U.S.A.

Magnesium Content of Erythrocytes in Patients with Vasospastic Angina Kazuhiko Tanabe, Kiyohito Noda, Takehiko Mikawa, Masahiro Murayama, Jiro S u g a i Second Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan

Summary. The possibility that a magnesium deficiency might be the underlying c a u s e o f vasospastic angina (VA) and the efficacy o f M g administration in its treatment were studied. Subjects included 15 patients w i t h V A and 18 healthy subjects as the control group. The erythrocyte Mg content was measured by atomic absorption, and serum Mg was measured by conventional chemical assay. The efficacy of Mg administration was studied in seven patients with VA. The results were as follows: a) The m e a n erythrocyte Mg content was less in the group with frequent episodes of angina (1.59 • 0.11 mg/ dl) than in the group w i t h o u t angina (2.11 • 0.38 mg/dl, p < 0.01) and in the control group (2.22 • 0.29 mg/dl, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the control group and patients o f each group with respect to serum Mg. b) Coronary arterial spasm w a s induced by ergonovine maleate in seven patients and w a s completely inhibited by the administration o f Mg sulfate (40-80 mEq, hourly) in six o f these patients; in the r e m a i n i n g patient neither obvious ST change nor chest pain occurred. Thus, it was concluded that the measurement o f e r y t h r o c y t e Mg content is useful to determine how easily v a s o s p a s m might occur in VA and that the administration o f M g m i g h t be developed as a new therapy for spasm associated w i t h a l o w erythrocyte Mg content.

Cardiovasc Drug Ther 1991;5:677-680

Key Words. variant angina, coronary arterial spasm, magnesium, erythrocyte

Since Prinzmetal first reported a variant form of angina pectoris (variant angina [VA]) in 1959, the etiological role of coronary arterial spasm has been widely recognized. However, the factors contributing to the occurrence of coronary arterial spasm are still undefined. Recently it has been suggested that some forms of coronary arterial spasm might be the consequence of reductions of tissue magnesium (Hg) [1,2]. The possibility that mangesium deficiency is an underlying cause of vasospastic angina and the efficacy of Mg administration in its treatment were evaluated in this study.

Methods Subjects included 15 patients with VA and 18 normal subjects with normal health check-ups, including chest X-ray, blood chemistry, conventional electrocardiography, and Master's two-step exercise test. Patients with VA fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: a) spontaneous attacks of chest pain associated with ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram at rest; and b) coronary arterial spasm demonstrated arteriographically during an anginal attack associated with ST elevation induced by intracoronary administration of ergonovine maleate. Patients were arbitrally divided into two groups according to their daily incidence of spontaneous anginal attacks: one having a daily attack rate of ->3 and the other having

Magnesium content of erythrocytes in patients with vasospastic angina.

The possibility that a magnesium deficiency might be the underlying cause of vasospastic angina (VA) and the efficacy of Mg administration in its trea...
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