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Associations of Calcium and Magnesium in Serum and Hair with Bone Mineral Density in Premenopausal Women

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the Korea Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (project No. A060093). The authors would like to thank TEI Korea Co. for assistance with the analyses of hair and serum minerals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Kang Nam St. Mary’s Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137–701, Korea

    Chan Hee Song, Ju Hye Chung, Sung Hyun Kim & Kyung Soo Kim

  2. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

    Chan Hee Song & Elizabeth Barrett-Connor

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  1. Chan Hee Song
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  2. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor
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  3. Ju Hye Chung
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  4. Sung Hyun Kim
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  5. Kyung Soo Kim
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Correspondence to Kyung Soo Kim.

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Song, C.H., Barrett-Connor, E., Chung, J.H. et al. Associations of Calcium and Magnesium in Serum and Hair with Bone Mineral Density in Premenopausal Women. Biol Trace Elem Res 118, 1–9 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-0011-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-0011-2

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