The relationship of asthma, magnesium status and inflammatory responses is influenced by gender and body mass index

Asthma is a significant public health burden that affects approximately 300 million people worldwide. Epidemiologic studies suggest that diet may be implicated in asthma occurrence and severity. Higher intakes of dietary magnesium (Mg) are associated with decreased risk of asthma and wheezing, better lung function and reduced bronchial reactivity. Because the amount of Mg present in serum represents less than 1% of the total body stores, current markers of Mg status are limited with regard to their sensitivity and specificity. Presented here are data from mild to moderate asthma subjects compared to healthy controls. We evaluated Mg status and interrelationships of Mg indices. There was no difference in Mg status between asthma and control subjects as assessed by five Mg indices, and Mg was not related to pulmonary function. Total serum Mg closely reflected ionized Mg, suggesting that total serum Mg may be an inexpensive clinical diagnostic monitor.;Asthma is characterized by smooth muscle dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Chronic low-level inflammation is also present in obesity. Asthma prevalence is increased in obese individuals, especially women. We evaluated C - reactive protein (CRP) and leptin, systemic and metabolic markers of inflammation, in asthma and control subjects matched for BMI and gender. There were significant effects of gender and BMI on CRP and leptin. There was significant positive effect of asthma on leptin levels that was further influenced by BMI. Leptin was negatively related to lung function (FEVI and FVC) in asthma females, indicating that this population may be sensitive to the effects of leptin on airflow limitation.;It has been suggested that exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) could be a link between asthma and obesity. Our data showed that BMI was positively associated with eNO in healthy lean and obese individuals. In people with asthma, there was no relationship between obesity and already elevated levels of eNO. Responses from healthy subjects cannot be extrapolated to describe inflammatory processes in asthma.;The influence of gender and BMI highlights the importance of considering gender and BMI when evaluating interrelationships between Mg, asthma and inflammation.