Study highlights link between magnesium deficiency and gout risk

Magnesium deficiency is significantly associated with an increased risk of gout, and dietary magnesium intake does not appear to modify this relationship, according to a study.

Researchers analyzed data from 18,039 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2016). Magnesium deficiency was assessed using the magnesium depletion score (MDS).

Findings showed that the prevalence of gout among U.S. adults during the study period was 4.7%. After accounting for confounding factors, individuals with higher MDS levels had a significantly increased risk of gout. Specifically, participants with an MDS of 2 or ≥3 were 1.86 and 2.17 times more likely, respectively, to have gout compared to those with an MDS of 0.

Dietary magnesium intake was found not to modify the relationship between MDS and gout risk.

Reference
Cao X, Feng H, Wang H. Magnesium depletion score and gout: insights from NHANES data. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1485578. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1485578. PMID: 39639938; PMCID: PMC11617175.