Oral magnesium supplementation in children with cystic fibrosis improves clinical and functional variables: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial.
Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study
Participants
44 CF patients (aged 7-19 y; 20 males)
Interventions
patients were randomly assigned to receive magnesium (n = 22; 300 mg/d) or placebo (n = 22) for 8 wk with a 4-wk washout period between trials. All patients were undergoing conventional treatment of CF.
Outcome measures
Long-term effect of oral magnesium supplementation on respiratory muscle strength by using manuvacuometry and the Shwachman-Kulczycki (SK) score. The experimental protocol included clinical evaluation, assessment of urinary concentration of magnesium, and manuvacuometric measurements [maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP)]. MIP was the primary outcome.
Main results
Urinary magnesium increased after the administration of magnesium (change: 36.38 mg/d after magnesium compared with 0.72 mg/d after placebo; P < 0.001). Moreover, MIP and MEP significantly improved only after magnesium administration (change in MIP: 11% predicted after magnesium compared with 0.5% predicted after placebo; change in MEP: 11.9% predicted after magnesium compared with 0.8% predicted after placebo; P < 0.001 for both). Magnesium administration had a beneficial effect on clinical variables assessed by the SK score (change: 4.48 points after magnesium compared with -1.30 points after placebo; P < 0.001).
Authors' conclusions
Oral magnesium supplementation helped improve both the SK score and respiratory muscle strength in pediatric patients with CF.
Keywords: magnesium; Minerals; Supplementation; non pharmacological intervention - diet; pharmacological_intervention;