This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 35/1/22    most recent 01.STR.0000105928.95124.1Fv1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Amighi, J. Articles by Schillinger, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Amighi, J. Articles by Schillinger, M.

(Stroke. 2004;35:22.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Low Serum Magnesium Predicts Neurological Events in Patients With Advanced Atherosclerosis

Jasmin Amighi, MD; Schila Sabeti, MD; Oliver Schlager, MD; Wolfgang Mlekusch, MD; Markus Exner, MD; Wolfgang Lalouschek, MD; Ramazanali Ahmadi, MD; Erich Minar, MD Martin Schillinger, MD

From the Departments of Angiology (J.A., S.S., O.S., W.M., R.A., E.M., M.S.), Laboratory Medicine (M.E.), and Clinical Neurology (W.L.), Vienna General Hospital, Medical School, Vienna, Austria.

Correspondence to Martin Schillinger, MD, Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Angiology, Vienna General Hospital, Medical School, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. E-mail martin.schillinger{at}akh-wien.ac.at

Background and Purpose— Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is thought to be a risk factor for cerebrovascular atherosclerosis and complications. We investigated the prognostic impact of Mg serum levels with respect to the occurrence of neurological events in patients with advanced atherosclerosis.

Methods— We prospectively studied 323 patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication (197 men; median age, 68 years). Serum Mg was determined, and patients were followed for a median of 20 months (interquartile range, 12 to 25 months) for the occurrence of neurological events, defined as ischemic stroke and/or carotid revascularization (carotid endarterectomy or carotid stenting). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied to assess the association of serum Mg (in tertiles) and neurological events.

Results— Neurological events occurred in 35 patients (11%) (15 patients with stroke, 13 with carotid revascularization, and 7 with stroke and subsequent revascularization). Compared with patients in the highest tertile of Mg serum levels (>0.84 mmol/L), patients with Mg serum values <0.76 mmol/L (lowest tertile) exhibited a 3.29-fold increased adjusted risk (95% CI, 1.34 to 7.90; P=0.009) for neurological events, but patients with Mg serum values of 0.76 mmol/L to 0.84 mmol/L (middle tertile) had no increased risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.35 to 3.33; P=0.88). Mg serum levels were not associated with all-cause mortality (P=0.87) or coronary events (P=0.67) during follow-up.

Conclusions— Low Mg serum levels indicate an increased risk for neurological events in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease, favoring Mg substitution therapy in those patients with advanced atherosclerosis.

Key Words: atherosclerosis • magnesium • risk factors • stroke

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Ohira, J. M. Peacock, H. Iso, L. E. Chambless, W. D. Rosamond, and A. R. Folsom Serum and Dietary Magnesium and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Am. J. Epidemiol., June 15, 2009; 169(12): 1437 - 1444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ziegler, M. Schillinger, M. Funk, K. Felber, M. Exner, W. Mlekusch, S. Sabeti, J. Amighi, E. Minar, M. Brunner, et al. Association of a Functional Polymorphism in the Clopidogrel Target Receptor Gene, P2Y12, and the Risk for Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease Stroke, July 1, 2005; 36(7): 1394 - 1399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]