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Magnesium: the fifth but forgotten electrolyte

R J Elin1

  • 1Clinical Pathology Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.

American Journal of Clinical Pathology
|November 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Magnesium (Mg) is vital for over 300 bodily functions. Understanding ionized Mg metabolism is crucial for diagnosing latent Mg deficiencies and improving patient outcomes.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Human Physiology
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Magnesium (Mg) is the second most abundant intracellular cation, essential for over 300 enzymatic reactions.
  • Ionized Mg is the physiologically active form, with total body Mg distributed in soft tissues and bone.
  • Current clinical evaluation relies on total serum Mg and urinary excretion, which may not fully reflect Mg status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the importance of ionized magnesium in physiological processes.
  • To discuss the limitations of current methods for assessing magnesium status.
  • To emphasize the need for advanced techniques to understand magnesium metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on magnesium's role in enzymatic reactions and metabolism.
  • Discussion of current clinical laboratory evaluations for magnesium.
  • Anticipation of new instrumentation for determining ionized magnesium in serum and soft tissue.

Main Results:

  • Magnesium is a critical cofactor in energy metabolism, protein, and nucleic acid synthesis.
  • Ionized Mg is the active form, buffered by protein-bound and chelated Mg.
  • New technologies are emerging for more accurate assessment of ionized Mg levels.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate assessment of ionized magnesium is essential for understanding its role in health and disease.
  • Further research into ionized magnesium metabolism is needed to address chronic, latent magnesium status changes.
  • Magnesium may play a significant role in managing acute myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis.

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