Correlation of Serum Magnesium Level with Bone Mineral Density in Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Women

Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a frequently occurring metabolic bone disorder marked by reduced levels of bone minerals and higher susceptibility to bone fractures. Out of all the micronutrients that regulate bone metabolism, magnesium has a significant role in the production of bones. Aim of the study: To determine the relationship between blood magnesium concentration and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Methods & Materials: This case-control study was carried out at the Department of Physiology, Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), Dhaka, Bangladesh (July 2017 to June 2018). A total of 60 postmenopausal women aged 45-60 years were selected and divided into two groups: Group A included 30 osteoporotic postmenopausal women (cases), and Group B included 30 apparently healthy non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women (controls). For statistical analysis, SPSS (V. 26.02) was used. Result: The study showed that osteoporotic postmenopausal women had significantly lower serum magnesium levels compared to non-osteoporotic controls (1.24±0.66 vs 1.91±1.00 mEq/L; p=0.003). Bone mineral density was also markedly reduced in the osteoporotic group, with significantly lower spinal (−3.27±0.89 vs −0.26±0.58; p<0.001) and femoral T-scores (−2.72±0.90 vs −0.35±0.48; p<0.001). In addition, serum magnesium showed a significant positive correlation with both spinal (r=+0.413; p=0.023) and femoral BMD (r=+0.441; p=0.015). Conclusion: Serum magnesium levels were significantly lower in osteoporotic postmenopausal women compared with non-osteoporotic controls. The osteoporotic group also had much lower bone mineral density at spinal and femoral sites. In addition, serum magnesium was quite positively correlated with BMD. This means that the lower the magnesium, the less the bone mass in postmenopausal women.