Ionized magnesium in plasma and erythrocytes for the assessment of low magnesium status in alcohol dependent patients

- This study addressed the issue of hypomagnesemia in alcohol-dependent patients.
- Scales and questionnaires were used to measure physical and mental health status.
- Ionized magnesium concentrations were assessed in plasma and erythrocytes.
- Hypomagnesemia is a poor prognostic factor in the treatment of an alcohol addiction.

BackgroundStudies on the homeostasis of magnesium in alcohol-dependent patients have often been characterized by low hypomagnesemia detection rates. This may be due to the fact that the content of magnesium in blood serum constitutes only 1% of the average magnesium level within the human body. However, the concentration of ionized magnesium is more physiologically important and makes up 67% of the total magnesium within a human organism. There are no data concerning the determination of the ionized fraction of magnesium in patients addicted to alcohol and its influence on mental health status.MethodsThis study included 100 alcohol-dependent patients and 50 healthy subjects. The free magnesium fraction was determined using the potentiometric method by means of using ion-selective electrodes. The total magnesium level was determined by using a biochemical Indiko Plus analyzer. In this study, different psychometric scales were applied.ResultsOur results confirm the usefulness of ionized magnesium concentrations in erythrocytes and plasma as a diagnostic parameter of low magnesium status in alcohol-dependent patients.ConclusionsThe lower the concentration of ionized magnesium, the worse the quality of life an alcohol-dependent person might experience. In the case of total magnesium, no such correlation was determined.