Admission Low Magnesium Level Is Associated with In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND

Low magnesium levels are associated with an elevated risk of stroke. In this study, we investigated the association between magnesium levels on hospital admission and in-hospital mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

METHODS

A total of 2,485 AIS patients, enrolled from December 2013 to May 2014 across 22 hospitals in Suzhou city, were included in this study. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their level of admission magnesium: Q1 (<0.82 mmol/L), Q2 (0.82-0.89 mmol/L), Q3 (0.89-0.98 mmol/L), and Q4 (≥0.98 mmol/L). Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the effect of magnesium on all-cause in-hospital mortality in AIS patients.

RESULTS

During hospitalization, 92 patients (3.7%) died from all causes. The lowest serum magnesium level (Q1) was associated with a 2.66-fold increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality in comparison to Q4 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.66; 95% CI 1.55-4.56; p-trend < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, time from onset to hospital admission, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and other potential covariates, HR for Q1 was 2.03 (95% CI 1.11-3.70; p-trend = 0.014). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses further confirmed a significant association between lower magnesium levels and a high risk of in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased serum magnesium levels at admission were independently associated with in-hospital mortality in AIS patients.