Generality
Magnesium deficiency can develop for various reasons, attributable to an insufficient dietary intake, an increased need, excessive losses, impaired intestinal absorption or prolonged intake of particular drugs (eg proton pump inhibitors, including l "omeprazole).
The resulting symptoms are the most disparate and may regress after an "adequate administration of magnesium by mouth or intravenously.
In medical parlance, the lack of magnesium in the blood is called hypomagnesemia; in severe cases, this condition can be very dangerous, given the possible onset of severe cardiac arrhythmias.
Causes
Chronic alcoholism is the condition most frequently associated with a secondary magnesium deficiency, both for a reduced intake and for the excessive renal excretion induced by ethanol.
Magnesium deficiency due to insufficient dietary intake is common in prolonged fasting and in Kwashiorkor.
Although many people in industrialized countries do not reach the recommended intake levels, this mild deficit is usually asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic.
More severe deficiencies may be due to reduced intestinal absorption, such as in the presence of pancreatitis, steatorrhea, large surgical resections of the small intestine, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease and malabsorption syndromes in general.
Magnesium deficiencies can also be caused by thyroid or parathyroid disease.
Severe losses of magnesium can trigger deficiency syndromes; this is the case of protracted diarrhea and vomiting, therapy with certain drugs (such as some diuretics or laxatives), diabetic acidosis, excessive lactation, intense and prolonged sporting activity, chronic renal failure and hyperaldosteronism primitive.
Symptoms
The symptoms of magnesium deficiency are quite varied and can include: mental confusion, mood swings, osteo-tendon hyperreflexia, muscle incoordination, tremors, paraesthesia, tetany that cannot be differentiated from that present in hypocalcemia, muscle cramps, cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension arterial.
Magnesium deficiency has been associated with PMS in women of childbearing age.
Diagnosis
Identifying a magnesium deficiency can be difficult, especially in the milder forms.
The diagnosis can be based on the magnesium dosage in the blood, with the search for hypomagnesemia, on the reduction of the magnesium content in the erythrocytes or on the disappearance of the mineral in the urine. In this regard, intramuscular magnesium loading tests are very useful, followed by monitoring of urinary excretion: in case of depletion, most of the injected magnesium is retained, while when the balance is positive most of the mineral is retained. eliminated in the urine.
Treatment
Magnesium can be administered orally via supplements containing one or more of its compounds, such as magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide (poorly absorbable), magnesium sulfate, magnesium aspartate or magnesium chloride.
In general, it is preferable to use organic magnesium salts (gluconate, aspartate, pyruvate, malate, citrate, pidolate, lactate, orotate, etc.), as they are better absorbed in the intestine.
An excess of these supplements can have a laxative effect.
If the deficiency is slight, it can be easily overcome by increasing the intake of foods rich in magnesium, such as vegetables - especially green leafy ones - peanuts and whole grains.
In severe cases, when supplements may be insufficient, the administration of magnesium sulfate is used intramuscularly.
