Operating under the control of a complex internal electrical system, the heart beats out a continual rhythm from before birth until death. This rhythm is ordinarily even and regular, changing speed as necessary to adjust to the body’s need for oxygen.
Sometimes, however, the heart’s rhythm becomes disturbed (“arrhythmic”). The most common and benign form of arrhythmia is the common “heart palpitation,” known technically as sinus arrhythmia. Generally, these are felt as a short run of thumps or flutters in the chest. Sinus arrhythmia is often caused by stress and anxiety. It poses no danger, although it can be annoying.
More serious forms of heart arrhythmia may occur as well. In later life, many people develop atrial fibrillation, a condition in which part of the heart contracts at excessive speed and another part follows along irregularly. Although some people live for years in a state of atrial fibrillation, this is a potentially dangerous condition that requires medical attention.
Other forms of heart arrhythmia are more dangerous still, including ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. These frequently occur after a heart attack. They are often heralded by ventricular premature complexes.
Conventional treatment for arrhythmia depends on the type involved. Sinus arrhythmias are often left untreated. More serious rhythm disturbances are addressed through the use of medications, defibrillation, or a pacemaker.
Note: Heart arrhythmias are far too dangerous for self-treatment. In all but the most obviously benign cases, medical supervision is mandatory.
Proposed Natural Treatments for Cardiac Arrythmia
Evidence is conflicting on whether
fish oil
helps prevent dangerous heart arrythmias.
1-2,15-17
The mineral
magnesium
tends to stabilize the heart, and intravenous infusions of magnesium are sometimes given to people in cardiac intensive care. However, a 6-month,
double-blind, placebo-controlled study
of 170 people did not find oral magnesium effective for maintaining normal heart rhythm in people with a tendency to develop atrial fibrillation.
3
Diuretic drugs in the
thiazide
family tend to deplete the body of the minerals potassium and magnesium. People using such drugs are usually advised to take
potassium
supplements because potassium deficiency can cause arrhythmias. One small double-blind study failed to find that additional supplementation with magnesium further stabilized the heart.
14
Apparently, the extent of magnesium deficiency caused by thiazide diuretics is not severe enough to destabilize the heart’s rhythm.
However, the drug
digoxin
appears to sensitize the heart to magnesium deficiency. People with
congestive heart failure (CHF)
are likely to use both digoxin and loop diuretics (another type of diuretic that depletes magnesium), and the net result can be cardiac arrythmias
5–8
One small double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that magnesium supplements reduced episodes of ventricular arrhythmia in people with CHF.
4
The herb
hawthorn
is widely used to treat mild palpitations, but scientific evidence to show that it is effective consists only of partially relevant test-tube studies.
9–13
When palpitations are caused by
anxiety
or
stress
, herbs and supplements used for those conditions may be helpful. See the individual articles for more information.
Caffeine stimulates the heart and may cause minor palpitations. Herbs containing caffeine, such as
guarana
and
cola nut
, would be expected to cause similar problems. The herb
ephedra
also stimulates the heart and should be avoided by people with palpitations.
A few reports suggest that the supplement
creatine
could, at times, cause heart arrythmias.
18
Numerous herbs and supplements may interact adversely with drugs used to prevent or treat arrhythmias. For more information on this potential risk, see the individual drug articles in the
drug interactions
section of this database.
References
1:
Sellmayer A, Witzgall H, Lorenz RL, et al. Effects of dietary fish oil on ventricular premature complexes.
Am J Cardiol.
1995;76:974–977.
2:
Marchioli R, Barzi F, Bomba E, et al. Early protection against sudden death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction: time-course analysis of the results of the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico (GISSI)-Prevenzione.
Circulation.
2002;105:1897–1903.
3:
Frick M, Darpo B, Ostergren J, et al. The effect of oral magnesium, alone or as an adjuvant to sotalol, after cardioversion in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Eur Heart J.
2000;21:1177–1185.
4:
Bashir Y, Sneddon JF, Staunton A, et al. Effects of long-term oral magnesium chloride replacement in congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease.
Am J Cardiol.
1993;72:1156–1162.
5:
Martin BJ, Milligan K. Diuretic-associated hypomagnesemia in the elderly.
Arch Intern Med.
1987;147:1768–1771.
6:
Cohen L, Kitzes R. Magnesium sulfate and digitalis-toxic arrhythmias.
JAMA.
1983;249:2808–2810.
7:
Toffaletti J. Electrolytes, divalent cations, and blood gases (magnesium).
Anal Chem.
1991;63:192R–194R.
8:
Whang R, Oei TO, Watanabe A. Frequency of hypomagnesemia in hospitalized patients receiving digitalis.
Arch Intern Med.
1985;145:655–656.
9:
Joseph G, Zhao Y, Klaus W. Pharmacologic profile of crataegus extract compared to epinephrine, amrinone, milrinone and digoxin in isolated guinea pig hearts [in German; English abstract].
Arzneimittelforschung.
1995;45:1261–1265.
10:
Popping S, Rose H, Ionescu I, et al. Effect of a hawthorn extract on contraction and energy turnover of isolated rat cardiomyocytes.
Arzneimittelforschung.
1995;45:1157–1161.
11:
Al Makdessi S, Sweidan H, Dietz K, et al. Protective effect of
Crataegus oxyacantha
against reperfusion arrhythmias after global no-flow ischemia in the rat heart.
Basic Res Cardiol.
1999;94:71–77.
12:
Krzeminski T, Chatterjee SS. Ischemia and early reperfusion induced arrhythmias: beneficial effects of an extract of
Crataegus oxyacantha L
.
Pharm Pharmacol Lett.
1993;3:45–48.
13:
Kurcok A. Ischemia and reperfusion-induced cardiac injury: effects of two flavonoid containing plant extracts possessing radical scavenging properties [abstract].
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol.
1992;345(suppl 1):R81.
14:
Lumme JA, Jounela AJ. The effect of potassium and potassium plus magnesium supplementation on ventricular extrasystoles in mild hypertensives treated with hydrochlorothiazide.
Int J Cardiol
. 1989;25:93–98.
15:
Calo L, Bianconi L, Colivicchi F et al. N-3 Fatty acids for the prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomized, controlled trial.
J Am Coll Cardiol
. 2005;45:1723-8.
16:
Geelen A, Brouwer IA, Schouten EG et al. Effects of n-3 fatty acids from fish on premature ventricular complexes and heart rate in humans.
Am J Clin Nutr
. 2005;81:416-20.
17:
Raitt MH, Connor WE, Morris C et al. Fish oil supplementation and risk of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation in patients with implantable defibrillators: a randomized controlled trial.
JAMA.
2005;293:2884-91.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
