Serum hypomagnesemia is the most common electrolyte disturbance in patients with AUD.

Liver damage and glomerular dysfunction were associated with hypomagnesemia in patients with AUD.

Hypomagnesemia is several times more likely to occur among AUD patients with hyponatremia or hypokalemia.

Hypomagnesemia (hypoMg) has not yet been extensively studied in alcohol use disorder (AUD) . We hypothesize that chronic, excessive alcohol consumption favors oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory alterations that may be exacerbated by hypoMg. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and associations of hypoMg in AUD.

Cross-sectional study in patients admitted for a first treatment of AUD in six tertiary centers between 2013 and 2020. Socio-demographic, alcohol use characteristics, and blood parameters were ascertained at admission.

753 patients (71% men) were eligible; age at admission was 48 years [IQR, 41–56 years]. Prevalence of hypoMg was 11.2%, higher than that observed for hypocalcemia (9.3%), hyponatremia (5.6%), and hypokalemia (2.8%). HypoMg was associated with older age, longer duration of AUD, anemia, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, glucose levels, advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 ≥3.25) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min. In multivariate analysis, advanced liver fibrosis (OR, 8.91; 95% CI, 3.3–23.9) and eGFR < 60 mL (OR, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.0–26.2) were the only factors associated with hypoMg.

Mg deficiency in AUD is associated with liver damage and glomerular dysfunction suggesting that both comorbidities should be assessed in the course of serum hypoMg.

advanced liver fibrosis

alanine aminotransferase

aspartate aminotransferase

estimted glomerular filtration rate

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

gamma glutamyl transpeptidase

Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol

Alcohol use disorder

Magnesium deficiency

Oxidative stress

Electrolyte disturbances

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.