SAN DIEGO-Dietary magnesium supplements seem to reduce sickle-cell crises.
For 20 patients given 552 mg of magnesium pidolate daily for six months, the mean number of painful crises dropped from 12 in the previous year to zero, says Dr. Lucia De Franceschi of the University of Verona in Italy. Two patients had no changes.
Clinical improvement paralleled lab evidence of significant inhibition of erythrocyte dehydration, she told the American Society of Hematology meeting here. There were decreases in erythrocyte potassium chloride cotransport and increases in cellular potassium and magnesium contents.
Two patients dropped out because of diarrhea and one for unrelated reasons, she added. There were no other significant side effects or evidence of magnesium toxicity.
