Impact of serum magnesium and BMD on systemic fractures in chronic hemodialysis patients

What is it about?

Although low bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray (DXA) is a strong risk factor for fracture among healthy men and women, the clinical utility of BMD for the prediction of the risk of fractures in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) is unclear. One past cohort study in HD patients showed the association of lower serum magnesium levels with a higher risk of hip fracture. In this study of 358 HD patients, we assessed the association of serum magnesium and BMD with the risk of incident fractures and showed that the prediction of the risk of fractures in HD patients based on the combination of magnesium level and lumbar spine BMD is more accurate than the prediction based on either variable alone.

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Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Fractures are a major source of morbidity and mortality in HD patients. Low serum magnesium levels and low L2-L4 BMD are shown to be independent predictors of incident fractures in HD patients. We should recognize the clinical importance of magnesium with regard to the risk of fractures, especially in patients with low lumbar spine BMD levels.

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