Magnesium
Discover Magnesium levels for muscle, nerve, and heart function assessment. Monitor essential mineral status for health optimization.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body. It’s crucial for muscle and nerve function, bone health, energy production, and protein synthesis. Most magnesium is stored in bones and cells, with only 1% circulating in blood.
Why is it Tested?
Doctors test magnesium to investigate muscle cramps, weakness, irregular heartbeat, seizures, or tetany. It’s also checked in patients with kidney disease, diabetes, alcoholism, or malabsorption disorders who are at higher risk for deficiency.
Normal Ranges
Reference ranges for serum magnesium:
- Normal: 1.7–2.2 mg/dL
Some experts suggest optimal levels should be in the upper half of this range for best health outcomes.
Reference ranges vary by authority. Track yours across multiple standards with automatic unit conversions in LabsVault.
What do Abnormal Results Mean?
Abnormal results are not a diagnosis. Always discuss your results with a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.
Low Magnesium (Hypomagnesemia)
Deficiency may cause:
- Muscle cramps and weakness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Seizures or tetany
- Fatigue and irritability
- Poor calcium and potassium absorption
High Magnesium (Hypermagnesemia)
Excess levels may indicate:
- Kidney failure
- Excessive supplementation
- Certain medications
- Dehydration
How to Track Over Time
Magnesium levels can be affected by medications, kidney function, and absorption issues. Since serum magnesium represents only a small fraction of total body stores, normal levels don’t always rule out deficiency. Tracking helps optimize supplementation and monitor treatment response.
Track your Magnesium results over time
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