The effect of intravenously administered magnesium on platelet function in patients after cardiac surgery.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Magnesium and Collagen in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The researchers performed a randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of magnesium on platelet function in patients after cardiac surgery.

In addition, to investigate platelet function in vitro, 1, 5, and 10 mM magnesium were added to platelet-rich plasma before and 24 h after surgery in 30 patients.

Why It Was Studied

After cardiac surgery, magnesium is often administered for prophylaxis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Magnesium, however, inhibits platelet function in vitro and in healthy volunteers.

Who Took Part

The study group was 30 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults and older adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Because people in this Magnesium study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Neither the patients nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Magnesium, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some patients received a placebo instead of Magnesium, giving a reference point.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adenosine Diphosphate, Blood Platelets, Collagen, Coronary Artery Bypass, Fibrinogen, Flow Cytometry and In Vitro Techniques.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Magnesium and Collagen in 30 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 1 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 1999 (Anesthesia and analgesia), a journal based in United States.

More context: the related Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc library page, all human trials.