The death of NBC's Tim Russert on Friday at the age of 58 is shining the national spotlight on sudden cardiac arrest.
In the week when the government announced that life expectancy in the United States had risen to an all-time high of 78 and deaths from heart disease were declining, Russert's death, which occurred when he collapsed at the network's Washington office, was a sad warning that fatal heart attacks can — and often do — strike without warning.
Many victims of sudden cardiac arrest, like Russert, cannot be resuscitated.
And incredibly, Russert may have died because he was deficient in a simple nutrient, a respected medical doctor says.
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Even though Russert's death was shocking and sudden, there were ominous signs. Russert had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and diabetes. Both are risk factors for a sudden heart attack. In addition, he was overweight and in a high-stress job, two additional factors that raised his risk. And although Russert may not have known, an autopsy revealed he also suffered from an enlarged heart.
Russert didn't die alone. About 850 people in the U.S. also died Friday of sudden cardiac arrest, and 310,000 die each year.
Their disease didn't occur overnight. Fat deposits (plaque) and inflammation had been building for decades. The plaque cracked or tore, and the body's efforts to repair the damage caused a clot which blocked an artery and caused sudden heart attack. Dr. Michael Newman, Russert's personal physician, confirmed Russert died of a massive heart attack that occurred when a clot ruptured in his left anterior descending coronary artery and caused the fatal heart attack.
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Russert probably believed he was taking good care of himself. He had no obvious symptoms of heart disease, and he was taking medication and exercising. He also easily passed a stress test two months ago.
But what Russert didn't know was what probably killed him, says acclaimed neurosurgeon and health advocate Dr. Russell Blaylock. "Chances are the medicines he was taking to reduce his chances of having a life-ending heart attack — probably statins — weren't helping him at all. Statins don't protect against heart attacks. And he didn't know that the lack of one nutrient could have cost him his life.
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"The number one cause of sudden cardiac death is magnesium deficiency," Blaylock says. "Cardiac patients and those with diabetes have the lowest magnesium levels of all. Since Russert had both heart disease and diabetes, he was probably deficient in magnesium. A bad diet and stress would have further depleted the magnesium in his body.
"People who are deficient in magnesium are most likely to have sudden cardiac arrest, and when they do arrest, and they are harder to resuscitate. Many simply can't be resuscitated."
To avoid a fate similar to Russert's, Dr. Blaylock advises a magnesium supplement every day.
"Magnesium reduces inflammation in the walls of the arteries and veins and it slightly thins blood," he says. "If you do have a clot, magnesium prevents the heart from going into spasm. About half of the people who die from sudden cardiac arrest die from arrhythmia and magnesium prevents that. It is also essential that diabetics control their sugar levels.
"If Russert was low in magnesium, an inexpensive supplement could have saved his life."
