Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Osteoporosis is the most frequent metabolic bone disease worldwide affecting primarily the senior population. The associated bone loss in combination with a decline in physical performance lead to increased incidence of falls and fragility fractures. Thus, improving physical performance is key to preventing osteoporotic fractures.

Methods: A total of 140 participants were inrolled in a cross-sectional study. Secondary causes of osteoporosis were excluded. All participants underwent dual x-ray absorptiometry analysis and lateral spine radiography (which resulted in 105 subjects being diagnosed with primary osteoporosis and 35 subjects with osteopenia or normal bone density). Each subject underwent several physical performance tests. Blood samples were obtained to perform biochemical and hormonal assessment.

Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between serum magnesium levels and 4-m Gait Speed values in patients suffering from osteoporosis with or without fragility fracture (P=0,004, r=0,272). Linear regression showed a negative statistically significant correlation between serum magnesium levels and Timed Up and Go Test (P=0,034, r=-0,207) in the osteoporosis subgroup. None of these correlations applied to subjects with osteopenia or normal bone density. All subjects except one had serum magnesium levels within the reference range.

Conclusion: Serum magnesium levels correlate with pysical performance tests in patients suffering from primary osteoporosis. In the setting of hypomagnesemia being known to be associated with poor physical performance, the results of this study suggest more research is needed to establish whether magnesium supplementation should be an adjunct to osteoporosis therapies.