Acquired Disorders of Hypomagnesemia

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Magnesium disorders, including hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia, frequently occur in clinical settings.
• Hypomagnesemia is more prevalent than hypermagnesemia, often linked to renal insufficiency and certain medications.
• Causes of hypomagnesemia include inherited conditions, excessive losses (GI/renal), and drugs like amphotericin B, aminoglycosides, and cisplatin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on magnesium disorders, focusing on hypomagnesemia.
• To discuss the challenges in assessing body magnesium stores and the effectiveness of replacement therapies.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for magnesium replacement in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was performed using PubMed.
• Searches covered the period from 1970 to 2022.
• Keywords included magnesium, hypomagnesemia, drugs, medications, treatment, and therapy.

Main Results:

• Serum magnesium levels are a limited but symptomatic correlate for total body magnesium.
• Oral magnesium replacement is effective for gradual repletion.
• Intravenous magnesium is crucial for managing severe and life-threatening hypomagnesemia.

Conclusions:

• Optimal management of hypomagnesemia lacks definitive data, necessitating clinical experience-based recommendations.
• Replacement strategies should be tailored to the severity of hypomagnesemia.
• Understanding the causes and assessment of magnesium disorders is vital for effective patient care.