Efficacy of Magnesium Supplementation in the Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury
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Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality and progression to chronic kidney disease, and increasing evidence indicates that hypomagnesemia may contribute to the risk of AKI while magnesium supplementation may provide nephroprotective effects. This review summarizes experimental and clinical data demonstrating that magnesium confers renal protection through multiple mechanisms, including improved renal blood flow, attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis, suppression of inflammation, and preservation of mitochondrial function. Clinical evidence suggests that magnesium supplementation reduces the incidence of AKI in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, contrast exposure, cisplatin or colistin therapy, and critically ill populations, and is also associated with lower mortality and decreased need for renal replacement therapy. Magnesium supplementation thus represents a safe, cost-effective, and promising strategy for preventing AKI, although large-scale randomized controlled trials are still warranted to confirm its long-term efficacy and safety.
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