Magnesium deficiency: diagnosis and clinical significance

Abstract

Magnesium deficiency is a common finding among patients admitted to hospital for chronic alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, chronic valvular heart disease on long term diuretic therapy, chronic uremia, chronic diarrhoea and hypoparathyroidism. Prolonged parenteral feeding without magnesium supplements, though not studied here, is also a well established cause of magnesium deficiency. There is good evidence that magnesium deficiency significantly contributes to the ill health of these patients. Magnesium deficiency induces intracellular potassium depletion. Magnesium deficiency causes hypocalcemia and a state of functional hypoparathyroidism. The diagnosis of magnesium deficiency depends on the awareness of those conditions liable to cause it, on the familiarity with symptoms and signs associated with it and finally, if necessary, on skeletal muscle magnesium estimation. Provided renal function is adequate, a trial of magnesium therapy in cases suspected clinically of deficiency is helpful and often obviates the need for skeletal muscle biopsy.