title: [Magnesium, acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury].
abstract: Coronary artery disease (CAD) ranks top with respect to morbidity and mortality in humans. Development of high-tech diagnostic and therapeutic strategies has greatly improved the prognosis of CAD and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over the past decade. Data from experimental and clinical research have provided important information on the role of magnesium in CAD and AMI. In relation to duration and severity of CAD, an adrenaline induced systemic stress arises, which provokes enhanced magnesium requirements, because magnesium is the co-factor in ATP dependent myocardial metabolism. The success of pharmacological or mechanical intervention in AMI can be compromised by reperfusion injury, which is probably caused by myocardial calcium accumulation. Since magnesium blocks myocardial calcium influx, reperfusion injury might be diminished or even prevented by magnesium application. Thus, the common procedure of invasive cardiac intervention and intravenous magnesium administration before reperfusion could become the gold standard in treatment of AMI.
authors.affiliation: Medicine and Konrad Wink, University Clinic Internal Medicine IV (Vienna, Austria).
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smetana
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wink
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000502:physiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D008274:Magnesium