A study of serum magnesium, calcium and phosphorus level, and cognition in the elderly population of South India

Abstract

Introduction: Different studies have shown the role of micro and macronutrients on cognitive function. Macronutrients have been involved in many metabolic activities of the body including oxidation and reduction reactions in the central nervous system. This involvement of macronutrients in the activities of central nervous system indicates its role in cognition. The present study is designed to know the role of macronutrients and its relation with cognition by using biological samples.
Materials and methods: A total of 337 subjects with a mean age of 49 participated in the cross sectional study fromdifferent parts ofKerala state in India. Individuals participating in this studywere administered a series of neuropsychological test batteries with major emphasis on 7-min screen test. All test procedures were administered by standard protocol after a written consent was obtained from the participating subjects. Analysis of macronutrients level of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus was done by using serum samples and the data obtained were then statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 17.
Results: The macronutrients magnesium, calcium and phosphorus were found to be significantly related to the cognitive score. Increasing magnesiumand calciumlevel was associated with higher cognitive score (P<0.0031 and 0.001 respectively), while lower phosphorus level was significantly associated with lower composite score (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of our study give us an expression that macronutrients such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus may be associated with cognitive function in elderly population of our state. But further studies on a larger population are required to come out with a definite conclusion.