Serum magnesium levels and its association with severity of asthma.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the serum magnesium levels and its association with asthma severity among children presenting with asthma. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: October 2024 to March 2025. Methods: A total of 151 children aged 6–15 years with asthma were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. Serum magnesium was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Asthma severity was categorized according to GINA guidelines. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables, whereas numerical variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation or median with inter-quartile range (IQR), as per normality distribution. ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests assessed associations, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Of 151 children, 103 (68.2%) were male, and the median age was 10 years. Cough (70.9%), shortness of breath (14.6%), and difficulty in breathing (12.6%) were common. The median serum magnesium level was 2.10 (IQR: 2.00-2.30) mg/dl. Asthma severity was mild in 61 (40.4%), moderate in 68 (45.0%), and severe in 22 (14.6%) cases. Serum magnesium levels declined significantly with increasing asthma severity as median 2.12 mg/dl in mild, 2.10 mg/dl in moderate, and 2.00 mg/dl in severe asthma (p=0.004). Allergic rhinitis (p=0.016), and inpatient care (p<0.001) were associated with significantly lower magnesium concentrations. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that lower serum magnesium levels are significantly associated with greater severity of asthma among children.