Comparison of serum levels of calcium and magnesium among preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia refers to a syndrome of new onset of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation in a previously normotensive woman. 1 Hypertension associated with pregnancy is the most common medical risk for maternal morbidity and mortality. 2 Pre-eclampsia has been dubbed the "disease of theories" because of the multiple hypothesis have been proposed to explain its occurrence. 3 Despite its prevalence and severity, the pathophysiology of this multisystemic disorder is still poorly understood. Some studies have shown that changes in the levels of trace elements in pre-eclamptic patients may implicate its pathogenesis, 4 while others have failed to show any association of blood levels of trace elements and prevalence of pre-eclampsia. 5 High rate of preeclampsia in developing countries have forced ABSTRACT Background: Despite numerous studies, the exact aetiology of pre-eclampsia remains unknown. Some studies have shown that supplementation of calcium and magnesium could ameliorate the effects of pre-eclampsia. The objective of this study was to compare the calcium and magnesium levels in the serum of Nigerian women with or without preeclampsia. Methods: In this study, serum calcium and magnesium levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry in 54 patients and 48 healthy normotensive pregnant women. The mean, standard deviation, Student's't' test and Pearson correlation were employed. Results: Serum calcium was significantly lower in patients than controls (9.17 ± 0.6 vs. 7.22 ± 0.5 mg/dl. P <0.001) (t test). Plasma Magnesium was significantly lower in patients than controls 13.19 ± 1.1 vs. 9.81 ± 0.7 mg/dl. P <0.001). The systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed significant inverse correlation with both calcium and magnesium (P<0.01). Conclusion: There was significant reduction in the levels of calcium and magnesium in patients with pre-eclampsia. Dietary supplementation of these trace elements may help to prevent pre-eclampsia.

Comparative Study of Serum Calcium in Preeclampsia and Normal Pregnancy at Government Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad City, India

“…This suggests a strong association between deficiency of this mineral and outset and progression of preeclampsia. 13 Our findings are similar to many former studies by Onyegbule et al, 5 Sultana et al, 9 Sirajwala et al, 11 Akhtar et al, 13 and Moholkar et al 15 In contrast, some researchers did not demonstrate significant difference between the two groups. 16,17 These contrasting findings may be due to differences in genetic pool of population, method of sample collection, storage and processing of sample, and method of analysis.…”

“…1 Evidences have shown that alterations in the maternal serum levels of some minerals may be implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. 5 Alterations in calcium homeostasis during pregnancy is more significant in this regard.…”

“…Extracellular calcium is important for bone mineralization, blood coagulation, etc. 5 Changes in plasma calcium levels have shown to alter the blood pressure. 4 Approximately 200 mg/day of calcium is deposited in the fetal skeleton via placenta in the third trimester of pregnancy and maternal urinary calcium excretion is doubled during this period.…”

Comparative Evaluation of Serum Calcium and Magnesium Level in Preeclamptic and NonPreeclamptic Women in a Tertiary Hospital in Southern Nigeria

“…The relationship between preeclampsia and nutritional deficiencies has been well established; studies have persistently and consistently shown that a relationship exist between the two (Belinzn et al., 1988;Hofmer et al, 1994;Onyegbule et al, 2014;Carroli et al, 1994). An inverse relationship between calcium intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was first reported in 1980 (Hofmer et al, 2010).…”

“…This was based on the observation that Mayan Indians in Guatemala who traditionally soak their corn in Lime before eating had a high calcium intake and low incidence of preeclampsia (Hofmer et al, 2010). The results of clinical trials showed the aggravation of hypertensive complication and the change in concentration of various trace elements (Belinzn et al, 1988;Hofmer et al, 1994;Onyegbule et al, 2014;Carroli et al, 1994;Hofmer et al, 2010). Calcium and magnesium have a relaxant effects on blood vessels of pregnant women and changes in the concentration of these elements can lead to alteration of blood pressure causing preeclampsia (Carroli et al,1994;Hofmer et al, 2010).…”