Hypomagnesemia as a Risk Factor and Accelerator for Vascular Aging in Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Cardiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Accelerated vascular aging is a significant concern in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Traditional cholesterol-lowering therapies have shown limited efficacy in mitigating vascular risk in advanced CKD.
• Vascular calcification in CKD is influenced by uremic toxins and other pathological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the relationship between hypomagnesemia and vascular calcification.
• To explore the role of magnesium in cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes, aging, and CKD.
• To investigate the potential of magnesium supplementation in reducing cardiovascular mortality in CKD patients.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of articles identified through PubMed and Google Scholar searches.
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select relevant studies.
• Keywords focused on hypomagnesemia, vascular calcification, and chronic kidney disease.

Main Results:

• Hypomagnesemia is hypothesized to contribute to increased vascular calcification.
• This calcification process is linked to heightened cardiovascular mortality.
• Evidence suggests oral magnesium supplementation may decrease cardiovascular mortality in severe CKD patients.

Conclusions:

• Magnesium plays a vital role in cardiovascular health and may counteract vascular calcification.
• Simple oral magnesium supplementation could be a cost-effective strategy to reduce cardiovascular mortality in CKD.
• The definition of 'normal' versus 'ideal' serum magnesium levels warrants re-examination in the context of CKD management.