Serum magnesium and stable asthma: Is there a link?

BACKGROUND: Although magnesium is used through intravenous and inhalation route in the management of asthma, actual prevalence of hypomagnesemia in asthma is not known. We conducted this study: 1) to detect the prevalence of hypomagnesemia in stable asthma and 2) to assess the significance of hypomagnesemia in these patients. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata. PERIOD OF STUDY: Four months from January, 2007, to April, 2007. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients attending outpatients department of respiratory medicine with stable asthma were randomly selected. They were assessed clinically and their serum magnesium levels were measured. This was compared with the serum magnesium values of 45 nonasthmatic healthy controls. RESULTS: Out of 50 patients, 14 had hypomagnesemia. Possible relationship of hypomagnesemia with tachycardia, tachypnoea, severity of asthma, medication use, and previous and future exacerbations were analyzed. CONCLUSION: There was statistically significant association of hypomagnesemia with tachypnoea, severe asthma, use of long-acting β-agonist, inhaled corticosteroids, theophylline, use of ≥ 3 medications, previous and future exacerbations but not with tachycardia or use of short-acting β(2) -agonist or montelukast.