AUTHOR=Du Ke , Zheng Xi , Ma Zi-Tai , Lv Jun-Ya , Jiang Wen-Juan , Liu Ming-Yan 

TITLE=Association of Circulating Magnesium Levels in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease From 1991 to 2021: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.799824

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2021.799824

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a medical and social challenge worldwide. Magnesium (Mg) is one of the most frequently evaluated essential macrominerals with diverse roles in the human body. However, the association between circulating Mg levels and AD remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of 21 studies published between 1991 and 2021 to determine whether the levels of Mg in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are abnormal in AD.  The databases searched were  PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data with no language limitations. On merging studies, a pooled subject sample composed of 1112 AD patients and 1001 healthy controls (HCs) was available to assess serum and plasma Mg levels; a pooled sample of 284 AD patients and 117 HCs was available to examine CSF Mg levels. It was found that  serum and plasma levels of Mg were significantly reduced in AD patients compared with HCs (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] [−1.36, −0.43]; P = 0.000). Although Mg in the CSF was lower in AD patients than in HCs (SMD = −0.16; 95% CI [−0.50, 0.18]; P = 0.364), the reduction was statistically non-significant. In addition, when the serum, plasma, and CSF reports were analyzed together, the difference in circulating Mg in AD patients was significantly lower (SMD = −0.74, 95% CI [−1.13; −0.35]; p = 0.000). These results indicate that Mg deficiency may be an AD risk factor and supports the notion that Mg supplementation may be a potentially valuable adjunctive treatment for AD .