Can Maintaining Optimal Magnesium Balance Reduce the Disease Severity of COVID-19 Patients?
Front. Endocrinol., 29 March 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.843152
Mark Eskander and Mohammed S. Razzaque*
Department of Pathology, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, United States
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caught the world by surprise, claiming millions of lives due to its deadly effects. Ongoing research studies evaluate the measures that can reduce the severity of symptoms in patients infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Magnesium is an essential nutrient that has many studied benefits in humans. This brief commentary aims to describe the potential benefits of magnesium on COVID-19 patients and the reported effects of low versus high magnesium levels in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.
Also, the potential benefits of vitamin D and how magnesium acts as a cofactor to activate vitamin D functions are elaborated.
The results of the existing studies point towards evidence that magnesium may have significant benefits in reducing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. There is also evidence that magnesium-dependent vitamin D activities may have antiviral effects, thus potentially being able to reduce rates of COVID-19 infection, which is a hypothesis that should be further tested.
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Reference (61) Serum magnesium levels in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2
>2.5 mg/dl of Magesium associated with more severe COVID - Feb 2022
Serum magnesium levels in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2
Review J Investig Med. 2022 Feb;70(2):409-414. doi: 10.1136/jim-2021-001948.
Rupam Sharma 1 2, Arash Heidari 3 4, Royce H Johnson 3 4, Shailesh Advani 5, Greti Petersen 4 6
Early studies have reported various electrolyte abnormalities at admission in patients with severe COVID-19. 104 out of 193 patients admitted to our institution presented with hypermagnesemia at presentation. It is believed this may be important in the evaluation of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. This study evaluated the outcomes of hypermagnesemia in patients with COVID-19. A retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the hospital with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was conducted. A review of the medical literature regarding hypermagnesemia, magnesium levels in critical care illness and electrolyte abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 was performed. Differences in demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with hypermagnesemia and normomagnesemia were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Other known variables of disease severity were analyzed.
- 104 patients (54%) were identified with hypermagnesemia (≥2.5 mg/dL).
- 48 of those patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (46%, p<0.001).
- 34 patients required ventilator support (32%, p<0.0001).
With age-adjusted logistic regression analysis hypermagnesemia was associated with mortality (p=0.007). This study demonstrates that hypermagnesemia is a significant marker of disease severity and adverse outcome in SARS-CoV-2 infections. We recommend serum magnesium be added to the panel of tests routinely ordered in evaluation of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Association of Serum Magnesium on Mortality in Patients Admitted to the ICU - 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.033 PDF
VitaminDWiki
Vitamin D and Magnesium need each other - many studies
Have not investigated as to why/when there are such excess Magnesium levels