Serum magnesium level in acute exacerbation of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

In this hospital based Case Control study, the patient population consisted of 100 patients of COPD admitted as an acute exacerbation, maximum number of patients of acute exacerbation 45% was in the age of 61-70 years, mean age was 66.44 ± 8.19 years. 74 patients were males, 71% of COPD patients were chronic smokers, 45 (45%) patients were in stage II, and 72% of patients of COPD exacerbation had hypomagnesaemia. In the control group, 99% of patients had normomagnesaemia. The incidence of hypomagnesaemia was 78% with acute exacerbation. The correlation of serum magnesium levels in exacerbation patients moreover, serum magnesium level stable COPD patients was significantly important. There was a significant correlation between hypomagnesaemia and GOLD staging in stage II and stage III, with a non-significant correlation between hypomagnesaemia and stage I and stage IV. The study concludes that COPD exacerbation is associated with hypomagnesaemia. Further studies are needed to find out the correlation between the staging of COPD and serum magnesium levels, and the effect of magnesium therapy in COPD exacerbation patients with hypomagnesaemia. Also, further studies are needed to find out possible aetiology of hypomagnesaemia in COPD exacerbation.