A Department of Veterans Affairs study found that taking over-the-counter magnesium supplements was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of hospitalization or death among veterans newly diagnosed with heart failure. Published in November 2025 in the journal Nutrients, the finding raises the possibility that a widely available and inexpensive supplement could meaningfully improve outcomes for one of the most at-risk groups in the veteran population.
The research, conducted by VA researchers from Washington, D.C., and Providence, Rhode Island, examined the electronic health records of almost 20,000 veterans newly diagnosed with heart failure, half of whom showed documented use of magnesium supplements, following patients for five years.
Veterans with documented magnesium supplement use within one year of their heart failure diagnosis showed a 19 percent reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality or hospitalization compared to those without any recorded supplement use. Among those with sustained magnesium use, the risk reduction grew to 23 percent.
The benefits were especially pronounced for veterans ages 80 or older and those with sustained magnesium use.
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Why Magnesium Matters for the Heart
Magnesium is an essential intracellular mineral involved in numerous key enzymatic processes and plays a critical role in preventing arrhythmia, improving hemodynamics and supporting cardiovascular function. However, individuals with heart failure are at increased risk of magnesium deficiency.
A separate VA study published in January 2026 in the European Heart Journal added further weight to those findings. Among veterans with heart failure and low magnesium levels, oral magnesium therapy was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization or death, with the strongest protective effect seen in those with the most severe magnesium deficiency.
The research builds on earlier work from the same VA team. An April 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association used natural language processing to analyze the health records of almost 95,000 veterans with diabetes, finding that 8 percent of those in the magnesium supplement group experienced heart failure, compared to nearly 10 percent in the non-magnesium group. Supplement users also showed a reduced risk of major adverse cardiac events.
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What Veterans Should Know
The results are promising but come with important caveats. The November 2025 study was observational, meaning it identified an association between magnesium use and better outcomes rather than proving direct causation. Researchers noted that this work could serve as the basis for testing magnesium in randomized controlled trials. Those trials have not yet been completed.
Veterans with heart failure who are considering magnesium supplementation should speak with their VA provider before starting. Magnesium at high doses can interact with certain medications and is not appropriate for veterans with kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. The studies excluded veterans with those conditions.
The findings have particular relevance to the veteran population, which carries a disproportionately high burden of heart failure given the cardiovascular demands of military service and the health conditions associated with combat exposure and aging.
Veterans with questions about heart failure management or supplement use can contact their VA primary care team through MyHealtheVet at myhealth.va.gov or by calling their local VA Medical Center.
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