Association Between Serum Magnesium Levels and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in a Nationally Representative Sample of Korean Adults, 2024.

Background/

Objectives

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency has been linked to various adverse health outcomes; however, its association with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has not been fully elucidated. This study examined the association of serum Mg levels with MASLD in Korean adults.

Methods

We analyzed a nationwide sample of 4952 adults in South Korea. Serum Mg levels (mg/dL) were measured. MASLD was defined as a hepatic steatosis index score of ≥36 together with the presence of cardiometabolic risk factor, including overweight/obesity, high fasting glucose, high blood pressure, high plasma triglycerides, or low plasma HDL cholesterol. The association between serum Mg levels and MASLD was examined using logistic regressions. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined.

Results

The mean (standard deviation [SD]) serum Mg level was 2.13 (0.15) mg/dL. The prevalence of MASLD was 25.7%. After adjusting for the sociodemographic variables, the OR (95% CI) for the association between a 1-SD increment in serum Mg levels and MASLD was 0.90 (0.84-0.96, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

This nationally representative cross-sectional study found that serum Mg levels were inversely associated with the likelihood of MASLD among adults in South Korea.