Clinical Importance and Biochemical Role of iMg in Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and COVID-19

Clinical Importance of Ionized Magnesium in Cardiovascular
Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Gastrointestinal and Renal Losses

The role of ionized magnesium is of growing interest in internal medicine, especially in cardiovascular diseases and in patients with diabetes mellitus. Ionized magnesium (iMg) is the physiologically active component of serum magnesium, so total serum magnesium (tMg) is not always an accurate indicator of magnesium status but iMg is. This presentation will describe recent studies showing statistically significant decreased iMg in patients with various diseases, e.g., heart failure, arteriosclerosis, lipid disorders, hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, and diabetes mellitus. Other situations also can cause a decrease in iMg, such as chemotherapy, emotional stress, and vigorous exercise. Lowered magnesium concentrations should be identified and corrected expeditiously to avoid vascular damage, arrhythmias, inflammation, and other sequelae of hypomagnesemia. The presentation will describe why measurement of ionized magnesium, not total, is a better tool to manage magnesium status correctly.

Learning Objectives:

• Role of magnesium in disease states including heart failure, heart rhythm disorders, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal and renal losses
• Why ionized magnesium is a better tool to manage magnesium status

Combating COVID-19 and Building Immune Resilience:

A Potential Role for Magnesium Nutrition

Several aspects of COVID-19 disease mimic metabolic events shown to occur during latent subclinical magnesium deficiency. Most notably, hypomagnesemia is a known pro-inflammatory state, and can predispose to cytokine storm, a factor in severe COVID-19 cases. A summary of experimental findings and knowledge of the biochemical role magnesium may play into the pathogenesis of COVID-19, particularly in severe cases, is presented in this perspective. Frequent monitoring of ionized magnesium status with subsequent repletion, when appropriate, may be an effective strategy to influence disease contraction and progression.

Learning Objectives:

• Ionized magnesium in pro-inflammatory states
• Ionized magnesium management and repletion in COVID-19 severe illness

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