[Magnesium in coronary artery disease--is there evidence?]

The role of magnesium in coronary artery disease has been evaluated extensively during the last three decades. The intravenous application of magnesium in acute coronary syndromes is of major importance, the beneficial effects of magnesium in acute myocardial infarction have been underlined in several studies. The promising results of LIMIT-2 could not be confirmed by the data of ISIS-4. A world-wide, multicenter trial (MAGIC) has been set up in order to evaluate the optimal patient cohort as well as the ideal dose regimen for the application of intravenous magnesium in patients with acute MI. Furthermore, magnesium is of significance in the pathomechanism of reperfusion injury and reduction of malign arrhythmia in the critical acute phase of MI, if applied intravenously. In stable coronary artery disease oral magnesium therapy has proven beneficial effects too.