Serum magnesium and C-reactive protein levels.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the hypothesis that magnesium deficiency is associated with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.


METHODS
Community-based cross-sectional study.


METHODS
488 apparently healthy children aged 10-13 years were randomly enrolled from Durango, a city in northern Mexico, through two-stage cluster sampling.


METHODS
Serum magnesium and hsCRP levels, lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels.


RESULTS
A total of 109 (22.3%) and 101 (20.7%) children had elevated hsCRP concentrations and low serum magnesium levels; among them, 87.1% exhibited both. Children who had both elevated hsCRP levels (2.45 (10.6) mg/l) and hypomagnesemia (1.3 (0.3) mg/dl) exhibit the highest fasting glucose (96.0 (13.9) mg/dl), insulin (13.6 (7.5) microU/ml) and triglycerides (131.5 (43.5) mg/dl) levels as well as the lowest HDL-cholesterol (46.4 (9.0) mg/dl) levels. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a strong association between low serum magnesium and high hsCRP levels (odds ratio 4.1; 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 10.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Magnesium depletion is independently associated with elevated hsCRP levels, suggesting that hypomagnesemia and low-grade inflammation are interactive risk factors.
Rodríguez-Morán
M
M
Medical Research Unit in Clinical Epidemiology of the Mexican Social Security Institute, and the Research Group on Diabetes and Chronic Illnesses, Durango, Mexico.
Guerrero-Romero
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008275:Magnesium Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D008274:Magnesium