The Magnesium Online Library says that between 400,000 and 700,000 people are diagnosed with congestive heart failure every year. Congestive heart failure, or CHF, occurs when the heart's muscle fibers become damaged from coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, inflammation or heart infections. Magnesium plays a crucial role in regulating the function of the heart muscle. Magnesium deficiency frequently occurs in people with CHF and can result in irregular heartbeat.
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that develops over time. It's usually caused by underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease. These conditions damage the heart, making the heart muscle stiff or thick. The damaged muscle either can't relax sufficiently to allow the ventricles to fill with enough blood, or it can't contract adequately to enable the ventricles to pump out enough blood. This results in an increase in pressure in the circulatory system, causing fluid to escape from the bloodstream and collect in tissues and organs.
Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure
Symptoms of CHF disease include fluid retention, which results in swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. You may experience shortness of breath upon exertion, chronic cough, unusual fatigue and generalized lethargy. As the heart's pumping action is reduced, blood may back up in the lungs or liver. As a result, organs in the body may not get the oxygen and nutrients they need, preventing them from functioning properly.
Cardiac Arrhythmias and Low Magnesium Levels
People with CHF are often at risk for developing cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, a significant cause of death in this group. In these people, magnesium deficiencies may develop as a result of increased urinary excretion caused by diuretics, or water pills; by elevated levels of catecholamines, which are neurotransmitters that affect the sympathetic nervous system; and by aldosterone, which regulates sodium and potassium reabsorption by the kidneys. According to TreatingAndBeating.com, studies have shown that low magnesium levels reduce the survival rate in people with CHF by almost 50 percent.
Magnesium Supplementation
The University of Maryland Medical Center says magnesium may prove to be the most important nutrient in establishing optimal cardiovascular health. Among dietary supplements recommended for treating CHF, magnesium is particularly important. Arrhythmias resulting from magnesium depletion can often be reduced or eliminated by the use of magnesium supplements. This mineral is often used by physicians to treat arrhythmia.
Natural Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium is found in a number of common foods. Some legumes -- such as beans and peas -- and unrefined whole grains are excellent sources of magnesium, as are green vegetables, nuts, shellfish and dried fruit. Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule, which gives green vegetables their color, contains magnesium.
