The Association of Magnesium and Calcium Deficiency with Cognitive Function in Hospitalized Adults

by | Jan 2, 2025 | 2024, Brain Health, Calcium, Cognitive Health, Magnesium, Minerals, Recent Articles

Written by Harold Oster. Results suggest that magnesium and calcium deficiency are associated with reduced cognitive function in older, hospitalized adults.

aging coupleDementia is an acquired loss of cognition across multiple domains, severely affecting social and occupational function. It is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and that number is expected to increase. Risk factors include genetic and nutritional factors1. Magnesium is a cofactor in hundreds of enzymatic systems, involving protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, glucose control, and blood pressure regulation2. Low magnesium levels have been associated with cognitive decline, possibly due to magnesium’s effect on neuroinflammation3. Hypocalcemia, found in several medical conditions, is also associated with poor cognition4.

Ganna Kravchenko et al. studied whether hypomagnesemia or hypocalcemia affects cognitive function in hospitalized patients aged sixty years or older. The authors recruited patients from a veterans’ hospital in Poland. On admission, a medical history was performed, and blood was tested for magnesium and calcium levels. Hypomagnesemia was defined as a magnesium concentration lower than 0.77 mmol/L, and hypocalcemia was defined as a level below 2.2 mmol/L. The participants were divided into four groups: normomagnesemia and normocalcemia (group 1), hypomagnesemia with normocalcemia (group 2), normomagnesemia with hypocalcemia (group 3), and hypomagnesemia with hypocalcemia (group 4). Cognitive function was assessed with the mini-mental state examination (MMSE)5, a 30-point questionnaire, and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), scored on a ten-point scale, with higher numbers signifying better performance6.

The authors noted the following:

  • Based on exclusion criteria, 1220 patients were included in the analysis.
  • After adjusting for age, body mass index, and comorbidities, participants in groups 3 and 4 scored lower on the MMSE and the CDT than those in groups 1 and 2. (group 1–MMSE 23.46/CDT 5.64, group 2–MMSE 22.65/CDT 5.24, group 3–MMSE18.66/CDT 4.09, group 4–MMSE 20.40/CDT 3.98)
  • Serum calcium and magnesium levels positively correlated with the MMSE and the CDT.
  • Patients with MMSE scores below 24, signifying dementia, had significantly lower calcium and magnesium levels than those with normal scores.
  • A history of stroke or heart failure was associated with lower MMSE scores.
  • The presence of a lipid disorder or hypertension was associated with higher MMSE scores.

Results suggest that magnesium and calcium deficiency are associated with reduced cognitive function in older, hospitalized adults. The study’s limitations include its cross-sectional design and possible residual confounding.

Source: Kravchenko, Ganna, Serena S. Stephenson, Agnieszka Gutowska, Karolina Klimek, Zuzanna Chrząstek, Małgorzata Pigłowska, Tomasz Kostka, and Bartłomiej K. Sołtysik. “The Concurrent Association of Magnesium and Calcium Deficiencies with Cognitive Function in Older Hospitalized Adults.” Nutrients 16, no. 21 (2024): 3756.

© 2024 by the authors.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/license
s/by/4.0/).

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Posted January 2, 2025.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

  1. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet. Aug 8 2020;396(10248):413-446. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30367-6
  2. de Baaij JH, Hoenderop JG, Bindels RJ. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev. Jan 2015;95(1):1-46. doi:10.1152/physrev.00012.2014
  3. Barbagallo M, Veronese N, Dominguez LJ. Magnesium in Aging, Health and Diseases. Nutrients. Jan 30 2021;13(2)doi:10.3390/nu13020463
  4. Fong J, Khan A. Hypocalcemia: updates in diagnosis and management for primary care. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien. Feb 2012;58(2):158-62.
  5. Harrison J. Cognitive approaches to early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. The Medical clinics of North America. May 2013;97(3):425-38. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2012.12.014
  6. Spenciere B, Alves H, Charchat-Fichman H. Scoring systems for the Clock Drawing Test: A historical review. Dement Neuropsychol. Jan-Mar 2017;11(1):6-14. doi:10.1590/1980-57642016dn11-010003
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