Oral magnesium supplementation in children with cystic fibrosis improves clinical and functional variables: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

The researchers prospectively investigated the long-term effect of oral magnesium supplementation on respiratory muscle strength by using manuvacuometry and the Shwachman-Kulczycki (SK) score among children and adolescents with CF.

Why It Was Studied

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body.

Although some studies reported that patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) lack magnesium, no international study has assessed the importance of oral magnesium supplementation in CF patients.

Who Took Part

The study group was 44 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were children, teenagers, young adults and adults, both men and women.

All patients were undergoing conventional treatment of CF.

The experimental protocol included clinical evaluation, assessment of urinary concentration of magnesium, and manuvacuometric measurements [maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP)].

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Some patients received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

Each person switched between Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

MIP was the primary outcome.

What Was Measured

Although some studies reported that patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) lack magnesium, no international study has assessed the importance of oral magnesium supplementation in CF patients.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Cystic Fibrosis, Dietary Supplements, Glycine, Magnesium, Muscle Strength, Organometallic Compounds and Respiratory Function Tests.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 44 patients.

Results are reported in around 4 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2012 (The American journal of clinical nutrition), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.