Relationship Of Serum Magnesium Levels To Serum Cholesterol And Triglyceride Levels And To Myocardial Infarction

A comparison of 47 patients having proven myocardial infarction with a group of 50 patients having no evidence of coronary disease failed to show a difference in serum Mg levels between the two groups. Further analysis showed no correlation between the levels of serum magnesium and serum cholesterol or triglyceride. The literature is reviewed and apparent conflicts in results are considered. There is some basis for believing that a relationship exists between Mg and atherogenesis, but it would appear that approaches to the question to date have not been sufficiently thorough. The advent of atomic-absorption spectrophotometry should make possible more-accurate and -dependable Mg determinations in the future.