As a cofactor in numerous enzymatic reactions, magnesium fulfils various intracellular physiological functions. Thus, imbalance in magnesium status-primarily hypomagnesaemia as it is seen more often than hypermagnesaemia-might result in unwanted neuromuscular, cardiac or nervous disorders. Measuring total serum magnesium is a feasible and affordable way to monitor changes in magnesium status, a...

A 32 year old woman with anorexia nervosa was admitted to hospital with severe hypocalcaemia and hypokalaemia that was refractory to replacement treatment but that responded immediately to an infusion of magnesium. She also had congestive cardiac failure that responded to magnesium replacement. The mild hypomagnesaemia found in this patient was responsible for the refractory hypocalcaemia. Mino...

Poorly controlled type II diabetic patients with hypomagnesaemia, hypermagnesuria, and hypercalciuria were allocated to treatment with either metformin or glipizide, to determine the effects on some indices of mineral metabolism. Despite comparable improvement in glycaemic control, assessed by glucose and haemoglobin A1, there were significant differences between the two groups in the handling ...

A 41 year old woman with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia but no known heart disease received 130 DC shocks for repeated cardiac arrests due to ventricular tachyarrhythmias over 48 hours. She was stabilised by intravenous amiodarone and had a defibrillator implanted. Serial ECGs did not change, but raised troponin I confirmed myocardial infarction as the underlying cause. Elec...