According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death each year. This underscores the importance of adopting healthier habits, such as exercising regularly, consuming nutritious foods, and refraining from smoking. Even with a heart-healthy lifestyle, you may still require medication to prevent cardiovascular issues.
For example, if your blood pressure remains high despite a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and proteins that help lower it, your physician might prescribe a calcium channel blocker. Popular brands include Adalat, Calan, Dardizen, DynaCirc, and Plendil. These medications prevent excessive calcium from entering your cells. Less calcium absorption means your blood vessels stay more relaxed, allowing for effective blood flow without requiring excessive force. This helps prevent spikes in blood pressure.
Calcium channel blockers are a reliable treatment for nearly all stages of hypertension and are taken by millions for heart-related and other conditions. However, if you begin taking a calcium channel blocker, it’s important to avoid supplements that could interact adversely, such as magnesium supplements.
Too alike in function to coexist safely
It might seem surprising that a natural substance like magnesium could interact with a prescription medication, but such interactions between pharmaceuticals and supplements are more common than you might think. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlights that taking ginkgo biloba (a natural supplement) with warfarin (a blood thinner) can lead to potentially fatal outcomes. It’s crucial to inform your healthcare and pharmacy team members about every product you’re taking to avoid complications.
Combining magnesium with a calcium channel blocker could inadvertently double up on their effects. Magnesium can inhibit calcium absorption just like a calcium channel blocker. Consequently, taking both could result in excessive lowering of your blood pressure.
While an occasional slight drop in blood pressure isn’t concerning, a sudden significant dip or consistently low blood pressure can be dangerous. If your blood vessels become excessively relaxed (a condition known as vasodilation), their inefficiency slows down, depriving your heart of the nourishing blood it needs. This situation can pose a life-threatening risk.
Supplements versus prescriptions
If magnesium also affects calcium absorption, why are calcium channel blockers necessary? Isn’t magnesium sufficient?
Magnesium isn’t as predictable or well-understood as calcium channel blockers; precision matters for many patients. A 2011 review in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension indicated that magnesium might lower blood pressure. However, the review highlighted the uncertainty in determining the right magnesium dosage to achieve desired results or whether magnesium supplementation would be effective in all cases.
Timing is another factor that leads people to opt for calcium channel blockers: Magnesium might take longer to have a significant impact. A 2006 study in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that high magnesium intake could modestly reduce heart disease risk in individuals over 50. However, this effect was observed over a long-term span of 10 years, and not everyone can wait that long. Those needing a reliable method to quickly and safely manage their hypertension might prefer prescriptions like calcium channel blockers as recommended by their physicians, avoiding the natural magnesium route to maintain control over their blood pressure levels.
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