Abstract
Several lines of evidence from previous studies suggest that Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) may be involved in intracellular and interneuronal processes associated with affective disorders. However, there have been inconsistent results on the effect of Ca and Mg on depressive mood disorder. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine whether serum Ca and Mg levels, as well as serum Ca/Mg ratio, are associated with mental health in relatively healthy, adult women without psychiatric disorders. One hundred and twelve adult women were recruited from the outpatient clinic in a university hospital setting. Serum Ca and Mg levels were measured and indicators of mental health such as depression, anxiety, and stress were evaluated using two validated questionnaires; the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Modified Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument Stress Scale. After categorizing the serum Ca and Mg levels, and the Ca/Mg ratio into tertiles, the mean scores on each mental health scale were compared using analysis of covariance. The risk of depressive mood disorder according to the tertiles of serum Mg level and serum Ca/Mg ratio was assessed using logistic regression analysis. Women in the middle tertile of serum Ca/Mg ratio had significantly lower scores on depression and stress scales (p = 0.004 and p = 0.007, respectively) and a lower odds ratio (OR) for the risk of depressive mood disorder (OR = 0.31, CI95% 0.10–0.93) than those in the highest tertile. The OR for the risk of depressive mood disorder was higher in women in the lowest tertile of serum Mg than in those in the highest tertile (OR = 3.92, CI95% 1.11–13.83). Serum Mg level and serum Ca/Mg ratio may be involved in the mechanism for the progression of depressive mood or stress perception in relatively healthy, adult women.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jimerson DC, Post RM, Carman JS et al (1979) CSF Ca: clinical correlates in affective illness and schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 14:37–51
Young LT, Robb JC, Levitt AJ et al (1996) Serum Mg2+ and Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio in major depressive disorder. Neuropsychobiology 34:26–28
Dubowsky SL, Christiano J, Daniell LC et al (1989) Increased platelet intracellular Ca concentration in patients with bipolar affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry 46:632–638
McGoon MD, Vliestra RE, Holmes DR et al (1982) The clinical use of verapamil. Mayo Clin Proc 57:495–510
Alcon D, Kubota M, Neary JT et al (1986) C-kinase activation prolongs Ca2+ dependent inactivation of K+ currents. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 134:1243–1245
Decollogne S, Tomas A, Lecerf C et al (1997) NMDA receptor complex blockade by oral administration of Mg: comparison with MK-801. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 58:261–268
Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ, Galioto A et al (2003) Role of Mg in insulin action, diabetes and cardio-metabolic syndrome X. Mol Aspects Med 24:39–52
Paolisso G, Barbagallo M (1997) Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance: the role of intracellular Mg. Am J Hypertens 10:346–355
Banki CM, Vojnik M, Papp Z et al (1985) Cerebrospinal fluid Mg and Ca related to amine metabolites, diagnosis, and suicide attempts. Biol Psychiatry 20:163–171
Steer ML, Atlas D, Levitzki A (1975) Interrelations between beta-adrenergic receptors, adenylate cyclase and Ca. N Engl J Med 292:409–414
Widmer J, Henrotte JG, Raffin Y et al (1995) Relationship between erythrocyte Mg, plasma electrolytes and cortisol, and intensity of symptoms in major depressed patients. J Affect Disord 34:201–209
Levine J, Stein D, Rapoport A et al (1999) High serum and cerebrospinal fluid Ca/Mg ratio in recently hospitalized acutely depressed patients. Neuropsychobiology 39:63–70
Bowden CL, Huang LG, Javors MA et al (1998) Ca function in affective disorders and healthy controls. Biol Psychiatry 23:367–376
Linder J, Brismar K, Beck-Friis J et al (1989) Ca and Mg in affective disorders: difference between plasma and serum in relation to symptoms. Acta Psychiatr Scand 80:527–537
Zieba A, Kata R, Dudek D et al (2000) Serum trace elements in animal models and human depression: Part III. Mg. Relationship with copper. Nowak Hum Psychopharmacol 15:631–635
Frizel D, Coppen A, Marks V (1969) Plasma Mg and Ca in depression. Br J Psychiatry 115:1375–1377
Kirov GK, Tsachev KN (1990) Mg, schizophrenia and manic-depressive disease. Neuropsychobiology 23:79–81
Pliszka SR, Rogeness GA (1984) Ca and Mg in children with schizophrenia and major depression. Biol Psychiatry 19:871–876
Rasmussen HH, Mortensen PB, Jensen IW (1989) Depression and Mg deficiency. Int J Psychiatry Med 19:57–63
Frazer A, Ramsey TA, Swann A et al (1983) Plasma and erythrocyte electrolytes in affective disorders. J Affect Disord 5:103–113
Cade JFJ (1964) A significant elevation of plasma Mg levels in schizophrenia and depressive states. Med J Aus 1:195–196
Oh SM, Min KJ, Park DB (1999) A study on the standardization of the hospital anxiety and depression scale for Koreans: a comparison of normal, depressed and anxious groups. J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc 38:289–296
Yim JH, Bae JM, Choi SS et al (1996) The validity of modified Korean-translated BEPSI as instrument of stress measurement in outpatient clinic. J Korean Acad Fam Med 17:42–53
Barbiroli B, Lotti S, Cortelli P et al (1999) Low brain intracellular free Mg in mitochondrial cytopathies. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 19:528–532
Bogdan M, Nartowicz E (1993) Mg, potassium and sodium in serum and erythrocytes in acute myocardial infarction. Kardiol Pol 38:263–266
Ford ES (1999) Serum Mg and ischaemic heart disease: findings from a national sample of US adults. Int J Epidemiol 28:645–651
Ma J, Folsom AR, Melnick SL et al (1995) Associations of serum and dietary Mg with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, insulin, and carotid arterial wall thickness: the ARIC study. Atherosclerosis risk in communities study. J Clin Epidemiol. 48:927–940
Alexander PE, van Kammen DP, Bunney WE (1979) Serum Ca and Mg in schizophrenics. II. Possible relationship to extrapyramidal symptoms. Arch Gen Psychiatry 36:1372–1377
Jabotinsky-Rubin K, Durst R, Levitin LA et al (1993) Effects of haloperidol on human plasma Mg. J Psychiatr Res 27:155–159
Ananth J, Yassah R (1979) Mg in mental illness. Compr Psychiatry 20:475–482
Song CH, Barrett-Connor E, Chung JH et al (2007) Associations of Ca and Mg in serum and hair with bone mineral density in premenopausal women. Biol Trace Elem Res 118:1–9
Rude RK, Gruber HE, Norton HJ et al (2004) Bone loss induced by dietary Mg reduction to 10% of the nutrient requirement in rats is associated with increased release of substance P and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. J Nutr 134:79–85
Kosch M, Hausberg M, Westermann G et al (2001) Alterations in Ca and Mg content of red cell membranes in patients with primary hypertension. Am J Hypertens 14:254–258
Levine J, Rapoport A, Mashiah M et al (1996) Serum and cerebrospinal levels of Ca and Mg in acute versus remitted schizophrenic patients. Neuropsychobiology 33:169–172
Poleszak E, Wlaź P, Kedzierska E et al (2007) NMDA/glutamate mechanism of antidepressant-like action of Mg in forced swim test in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 88:158–164
Hunter D (1998) Biochemical indicators of dietary intake. In: Willett W (ed) Nutritional epidemiology, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 210–211
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank TEI Korea Co. for assistance with the analyses of serum Ca and Mg.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jung, K.I., Ock, S.M., Chung, J.H. et al. Associations of Serum Ca and Mg Levels with Mental Health in Adult Women Without Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Trace Elem Res 133, 153–161 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8421-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8421-y