Associations of calcium and magnesium in serum and hair with bone mineral density in premenopausal women.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Some minerals have been associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women or people with certain chronic diseases, but the results have been inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association of serum and hair levels of calcium and magnesium with BMD in premenopausal women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of 104 premenopausal volunteers recruited from out-patient clinics and a health promotion center in a university hospital in Seoul, Korea evaluated the association of serum and hair minerals with BMD in premenopausal women. All participants completed BMD measurements at the spine and hip and provided hair for calcium and magnesium analysis; blood was obtained from 68 of these participants for serum analysis. RESULTS: Higher serum magnesium was associated with lower BMD at the spine (P = 0.047), but a higher hair magnesium was associated with higher BMD at the spine (P = 0.024). The ratio of serum calcium to magnesium was positively associated with BMD at the spine (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium in serum and hair was associated with BMD in premenopausal women. The ratio of serum calcium to magnesium appears to be a significant indicator of BMD.