Intelligent Medicine | The Best of High Tech Medicine and Alternative Modalities

Registered dietitian nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses a New England Journal of Medicine paper (July 2024, cited via Holistic Primary Care) warning about drug-induced magnesium depletion, especially from diuretics, proton pump inhibitors (e.g., Nexium, Prilosec), and certain antibiotics. She notes magnesium is often not routinely measured despite links between deficiency and cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological problems, including arrhythmias (AFib, long QT, torsades), endothelial dysfunction, and longer ICU stays. Prevalence estimates range from 7–11% (up to 20%) in hospitalized patients and 2–4% among outpatients, with higher rates among long-term PPI and diuretic users. She reviews symptoms and causes, explains limits of serum magnesium testing, highlights associations with diabetes, alcohol use, low potassium and calcium, and outlines evaluation options and oral repletion approaches, favoring better-absorbed forms like magnesium glycinate over oxide due to diarrhea risk.

Creators and Guests

LC
Host
Leyla Muedin, MS, RD, CDN
Leyla has been a practicing nutritionist since 2003, when she started under the tutelage of the famed Dr. Robert Atkins at the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. Since 2005, she has worked alongside Dr. Hoffman at the Hoffman Center and then in private practice.

What is Intelligent Medicine | The Best of High Tech Medicine and Alternative Modalities?

Pioneering complementary medicine practitioner Dr. Ronald Hoffman takes a cutting-edge approach to health, wellness, and aging. He covers both conventional and alternative modalities, as well as nutrition, exercise, and supplements.