The Relationship Between Plasma Magnesium Concentration and Hepatic Encephalopathy in Liver Cirrhosis Patients, A Preliminary Result of a Referral Center in Iran

The present study aimed to assess the relationship between hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and serum magnesium concentration in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The study population consisted of 90 cirrhotic patients admitted to the internal ward of Shariati Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The patients were divided into two groups: with or without HE. Demographic data, cirrhosis aetiology, plasma concentration of magnesium, model end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and Child-Pugh-Turcotte (CTP) class were recorded.

Thirty-one patients (34.4%) had hypomagnesaemia. Age and sex had no significant effects on plasma magnesium concentration (p-value = 0.134 and 0.212, respectively). The distribution of cirrhosis aetiologies was significantly different between patients with and without hypomagnesaemia (p-value = 0.005). Most patients with hypomagnesaemia were in groups B and C of Child Pugh (P = 0.027) and had a mean MELD score of 16.5 ± 5.8 versus 14.3 ± 5.4 in patients without hypomagnesaemia (p-value = 0.08). Hepatic encephalopathy was diagnosed in 45 (50.0%) of the patients. Mean serum levels of magnesium in patients with or without encephalopathy were 1.6 ± 0.2 and 1.9 ± 0.2 mEq/L, respectively (p-value < 0.001). There was no significant association between encephalopathy grade and serum magnesium concentration (p-value = 0.377).

We demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of hypomagnesaemia among cirrhotic patients with HE. Hypomagnesaemia was associated with the severity of liver cirrhosis based on the Child Pugh score. Prescription of magnesium supplements in cirrhotic patients may be helpful in preventing disease progression; however, further studies are needed.