Heart failure exists when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It develops over time as the heart’s ability to pump grows weaker. In some cases the heart cannot fill with enough blood; in other cases the heart lacks the force to pump blood to the rest of the body. It is a very common condition, with 4.8 million cases in the United States, with an estimated 400,000 new cases being reported each year (according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)
Heart failure can affect both sides of the heart, or affect the right side only. Right-sided heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the lungs to oxygenate the blood. It may cause fluid accumulate in the lower extremity, the liver, the abdomen or in the veins of the neck. Left sided heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Patients with heart failure that involves both sides of the heart often experience fatigue and shortness of breath.
Causes of heart failure include diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. There may be an additional cause–prescription medication, especially the drugs we use to lower cholesterol and the drugs we use to treat heart failure.
Statins work by inhibiting the enzyme methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. They prevent the production of mevalonate from HMG-CoA. The body converts mevalonate to cholesterol and a variety of other products. One of the things that melvalonate produces is Coenzyme Q 10; so these drugs ultimately prevent the production of coenzyme Q 10. Patients taking these drugs commonly experience exercise intolerance, myalgia and myoglobinuria. Studies show that these drugs have the potential to cause myopathies and rhabdomyolysis with renal failure. The FDA has warned about liver failure in conjunction with these drugs. These more serious side effects occur in about 1% of the population taking the drugs.
The heart contains high levels of coenzyme Q 10 and these levels are found to be lower in people suffering from congestive heart failure. According to an article appearing in The Lancet (1998;352(Suppl. 1):39-41) notes that the incidence of heart failure has dramatically increased in the last three or four decades. The prevalence of heart failure has increased by 70% between 1990 and 2000. This corresponds with the increase in the use of statins.
Drugs that are used by heart patients may deplete magnesium. Research appearing in Magnesium Bulletin (1994;16(3):98-100) demonstrated that treatment with ACE inhibitors deplete magnesium. Patients with congestive heart failure seem to benefit from magnesium supplementation. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study appeared in the International Journal of Cardiology (2009; 134(1): 145-7) that involved 79 patients with severe congestive heart failure. The subjects were randomly selected to receive either magnesium orotate or a placebo for one year. The survival rate was higher in the magnesium group (75.7% compared to 51.6% in the placebo group). Also, symptoms improved in 38.5% of the patients receiving magnesium. In 56.3% of the placebo group symptoms became more severe.
