HEART FAILURE PATIENTS ARE PRONE TO DEVELOP MAGNESIUM DEFIECIENCY AS A RESULT OF DIURETIC / DIGOXIN THERAPY

To avaluate serum magnesium level in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients receiving diuretic and digoxin therapy. Study Design: A case-control study. Patients & Methods: The study was conducted at the Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi with collaboration of National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Karachi from April to December 2003. Serum magnesium levels were evaluated in 65 subjects including 45 patients of heart failure admitted in the NICVD, Karachi. Twenty subjects were healthy, age and gender matched controls (group-I) Patients were divided into two groups (groups-II and III) according to treatment with diuretics or combination of diuretic and digoxin. Other electrolytes including sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium were also eveluated. Student t-test at ranging p-values of (