Association of Serum Magnesium Levels with Frequency of Acute Exacerbations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Prospective Study

Background. The course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) is accompanied by acute exacerbations. The purpose of this study is to determine the association of serum magnesium level with acute exacerbations in COPD (COPD-AE). Materials and Methods. Eighty-nine patients hospitalized with COPD-AE were included. Hemogram, biochemical tests, and arterial blood gases were analyzed. Pulmonary function tests were performed in the stable period after discharge. Patients were followed up at 3 monthly periods for one year. Results. Mean age of the patients was 70.4 +/- 7.8 (range 47-90) years. Mean number of COPD-AE during follow-up was 4.0 +/- 3.6 (range 0-15). On Spearman correlation analysis there were significant negative correlations between number of COPD-AE and predicted FEV1%(P = 0.001), total protein (P = 0.024), globulin (P = 0.001), creatinine (P = 0.001), and uric acid levels (P = 0.036). There were also significant positive correlations between number of COPD-AE and serum magnesium level (P < 0.001) and platelet count (P = 0.043). According to linear regression analysis predicted FEV1% (P = 0.011), serum magnesium(P < 0.001), and globulin (P = 0.006) levels were independent predictors of number of COPD-AE. Conclusions. In this small prospective observational study we found that serum magnesium level during exacerbation period was the most significant predictor of frequency of COPD-AE.