BACKGROUND Potassium and magnesium depletion prolongs the duration of the action potential of the cardiomyocyte, which predisposes to ventricular arrhythmias. In addition, potassium or magnesium depletion might impair cardiac performance and facilitate coronary artery thrombosis. METHODS Continuous 24-h ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring, treadmill exercise testing and echocardiograph...

In the past, reluctance to determine the serum magnesium level in the newborn infant has been due in part to the relative unreliability of methods hitherto employed (Wacker and Vallee, 1958), and the need for large amounts of blood, particularly where repeat determinations are proposed. In 1964 Rice and Lapara described a rapid, accurate ultramicro method for the determination of ionic magnesiu...

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the body and plays an important physiological role in many of its functions. Magnesium balance is maintained by renal regulation of magnesium reabsorption. The exact mechanism of the renal regulation is not fully understood. Magnesium deficiency is a common problem in hospital patients, with a prevalence of about 10%. There are no readily availabl...

Introduction. Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a rare inherited disorder. Mutations in SLC12A3 gene that encode tubular Na+Clcotransporter (NCCT) cause hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, salt loss, hypomagnesaemia and hypocalciuria. The symptoms include weakness, vertigo, hypotension, tetany, paresthesia and nausea. Diagnostic criteria are a normal urine concentrating ability, normal glomerular filtrati...