title: Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review.
abstract: A growing amount of evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency may play an important role in several clinical conditions concerning women health such as premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea, and postmenopausal symptoms. A number of studies highlighted a positive correlation between magnesium administration and relief or prevention of these symptoms, thus suggesting that magnesium supplementation may represent a viable treatment for these conditions. Despite this amount of evidence describing the efficacy of magnesium, few and un-systematize data are available about the pharmacological mechanism of this ion for these conditions. Herein, we review and systematize the available evidence about the use of oral magnesium supplementation in several gynecological conditions and discuss the pharmacological mechanisms that characterize these interventions. The picture that emerges indicates that magnesium supplementation is effective in the prevention of dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and menstrual migraine and in the prevention of climacteric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Dipartimento Materno-Infantile, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Universita' di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parazzini
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Dipartimento Materno-Infantile, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Universita' di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Martino
authors.affiliation: Universita' di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008274:Magnesium
keywords: dysmenorrhea; magnesium; menopause; premenstrual symptoms