Role of magnesuim in ICU

Abstract

The role of magnesium ions in clinical medicine , nutrition and physiology has an amazing increase over the past decades , as Magnesium affects many cellular functions, including transport of potassium and calcium ions, and modulates signal transduction, energy metabolism and cell proliferation . The Mg ion , the second most abundant intracellular cation after potassium, plays essential roles in the structure and function of the human body; it is an essential cofactor in awide variety in physiological processes , including protein synsthesis and stability, neuromuscular excitability and the conduction of neural impulses, stimulus-contraction coupling and muscular contraction, magnesium is an indispensable part of the activated Mg ATP complex, and it is required for ATP synthesis in the mitochondria . Magnesium is anecessary cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions; it is required for the activity of all rate limiting glycolytic enzymes, protein kinases and more generally , all ATP and phosphate trans- associated enzymes. magnesium may also bind the enzymes directly ( i.e RNA and DNA polymerases ) and alter their structure . therefore , the availability of an adequate quantity Mg may be considered acritical factor for normal body and cellular homeostasis and function . Some studies have shown that the magnesium intake by patients with diabetes is often below recommended levels. Additionally, there is evidence that the magnesium status of patients with diabetes tends to alter, and that