Serum Magnesium Level and Related Biochemical Parameters in Cardiovascular Diseases at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Serum magnesium (Mg) and other biochemical abnormalities in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a global concern as it has been implicated in CVD related morbidity and mortality. However, results from studies of these biochemical abnormalities especially of serum magnesium in CVDs are conflicting and unclear with no data on CVD patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; hence the focus of the current study. Aim: To determine serum magnesium and related biochemical parameters in cardiovascular disease patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Method andMaterials: This research was a case-control study design with a convenience and systematic random sampling technique at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the KBTH. A total number of 128 participants including sixty (60) cases with various cardiovascular diseases and 68 control subjects were recruited after their informed consent and ethical clearance (SBAHS/10504897/AA/MLS/2015-2016) was obtained. Four (4) ml fasted blood samples were taken for biochemical analysis. Serum Mg, Ca, K, PO4, CK, HDL, LDH, and FBG were analyzed in the laboratory using dry Chemistry auto Analyzer (Vitrios 5.1 FS by OrthoClinicals-USA). The data of this study was recorded as protected health information (PHI) and analysed with version 20 of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The average serum magnesium level was lower significantly in the CVD patients (0.82±0.16) as compared to the control (0.87±0.07; p-value = 0.02); and magnesium abnormalities (both low and high) were positively associated with CVD cases resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 5.42 (CI = 1.45 – 20.26; p-value = 0.01). Even though the trend of higher odds of outcome persisted when the exposed group was treated as those having only high magnesium levels, the odds ratio was not statistically significant (1.74 (0.19 – 21.38; p-value = 0.54). With an adjusted OR from binary logistics of systolic blood pressure (SBP) increment of

ten (10) and a body mass index (BMI) increment of five (5), magnesium categories (in terms of low, normal and high values) were found to be associated with inorganic phosphate categories, adjusted calcium, creatinine kinase (CK) categories, diastolic (DBP) categories, albumin (ALB) categories and total cholesterol (Tchol) categories. By this the study established that there was a positive association between serum magnesium level and other biochemical parameters measured (p = 0.01). The study parameters, thus, had strong evidence against the null hypothesis. Conclusion: The cardiovascular disease patients and controls in this study were adult with majority having secondary school education and of Christian religious background. The study established statistically that there was a significant positive association between mean serum magnesium levels in the controls and cases. Despite this significance, further statistical analysis in accounting for confounding variables with or without rules established that there was a significant relationship between serum magnesium levels in the studied cases and controls. The study established that serum magnesium level was also positively associated with other biochemical parameters measured. The study also established a 13.33% increase risk of CVD prevalence in the participants with low magnesium levels. The current study has further provided information on the relationship between the serum magnesium levels and other biochemical markers in the investigations in CVD subjects and how adjusted odds ratio with SBP increments of ten (10) and BMI increment of five (5) could make magnesium levels closely relate with potassium, phosphate, calcium, CK, DBP, albumin and total cholesterol.