Effects of carvedilol on neurohormone and magnesium metabolism in patients with chronic heart failure

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of carvedilol on neurohormone and magnesium metabolism in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with CHF were divided into two groups randomly: received conventional treatment alone or combined with carvedilol for 8 weeks, respectively. Urine magnesium excretion (UME), plasma levels of magnesium (PMC), norepinephrine (NE), angiotensin-II (Ang-II), aldosterone (ALD), plasma renin activity (PRA) and peripheral monocyte magnesium content (MMC) were measured before and after treatments. Twenty-six health persons were selected as normal subjects. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in UME and plasma concentrations of NE, ALD, Ang-II and PRA, and a significant decrease in MMC in patients with CHF, compared with the control group (P < 0.01). UME was positively correlated with ALD, Ang-II, PRA r = 0.41, 0.42, 0.38, respectively (P < 0.01). These parameters significantly improved after carvedilol (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Carvedilol decreases significantly plasma concentrations of neurohormone and urine magnesium excretion, and increases cell magnesium content in patients with CHF.