Clinical trial on the effects of oral magnesium supplementation in stable-phase COPD patients

Bruno Micael Zanforlini,Chiara Ceolin,Giuseppe Sergi,Gabriella Guarnieri,Stefania Maggi,Caterina Trevisan,Daniele Michele Seccia,Andrea Vianello,Marianna Noale,Agnese Alessi

doi:10.1007/s40520-021-01921-z

Abstract

Background and aimsCOPD is a common chronic condition in older age that impacts on daily activities and quality of life. Previous studies suggest that magnesium deficit in COPD patients affects bronco-obstruction, inflammation, and physical performance. We investigated whether oral magnesium supplementation in stable-phase COPD patients improves lung function, physical performance, and quality of life.MethodsWe conducted a double-blind randomized-controlled clinical study with 49 participants divided into two groups: one given 300 mg/day of magnesium citrate (n = 25) and the other one sachet/day of a placebo (n = 24). The following parameters were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months: lung function (spirometry), physical performance (handgrip strength, lower limb strength, six-minute walk test), inflammation (e.g., C-reactive protein, CRP), disease-related symptoms, and quality of life (St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, EuroQoL-5D, the Modified British Medical Research Council Questionnaire).ResultsLinear mixed models revealed significantly lower CRP values in the intervention group than in the placebo group at the 6 month follow-up (β = − 3.2, 95% CI − 6.0, − 0.4, p = 0.03). Moreover, the maximum work for flexion tended to increase in both groups between the 3 and the 6 month assessments, especially in the placebo group. No significant differences within and between groups over the study period were observed for the other parameters tested.ConclusionsAlthough the established minimum sample size was not reached, our results suggests that oral magnesium supplementation may have a potential anti-inflammatory role. On the other hand, it does not seem to substantially influence lung function, physical performance, and quality of life in COPD patients.Trial registrationThe study is registered in clinicaltrial.gov (Trial Registration: NCT02680769, 13 June 2016, retrospectively registered).

Highlights

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases with age, reaching 14.2% in the over 65 s making it a common chronic disorder of old age [1]
There were no significant differences between the groups, except for the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total and daily activities scores, which were higher in the placebo group
This is the first double-blind, randomized-controlled clinical trial investigating the effect of oral administration of magnesium on lung function, physical performance, and quality of life in clinically stable COPD patients

Summary

Introduction

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases with age, reaching 14.2% in the over 65 s making it a common chronic disorder of old age [1]. Several studies have shown that the total magnesium pool tends to decrease both in COPD and in the elderly [3, 4] This deficiency is often overlooked, because it is not. Previous studies suggest that magnesium deficit in COPD patients affects bronco-obstruction, inflammation, and physical performance. We investigated whether oral magnesium supplementation in stable-phase COPD patients improves lung function, physical performance, and quality of life. The following parameters were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months: lung function (spirometry), physical performance (handgrip strength, lower limb strength, six-minute walk test), inflammation (e.g., C-reactive protein, CRP), disease-related symptoms, and quality of life (St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, EuroQoL-5D, the Modified British Medical Research Council Questionnaire). Trial registration The study is registered in clinicaltrial.gov (Trial Registration: NCT02680769, 13 June 2016, retrospectively registered)

Methods

Results

Conclusion