Relationship between sleep and magnesium: a population-based study

• Grant number: 16/18083-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2016
• End date: November 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Monica Levy Andersen
• Grantee: Letícia de Freitas Leonel
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Magnesium is a mineral found in large quantities in the human body that plays a key role in many physiological processes, among which stands out the modulation of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. Although not properly investigated in clinical practice, its deficiency is related to the occurrence of chronic and mental conditions and, potentially, to sleep disorders. Previous studies about the association between magnesium and sleep have focused mostly on the effects of its dietary supplementation in animals and humans, observing a significant improvement in sleep quality. However, little has been reported on this subject considering the assessment of serum magnesium levels. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the sleep pattern and its relationship with serum magnesium levels in a representative sample of an urban population. Therefore, there will be used data from the epidemiological study held in the city of São Paulo (EPISONO) in 2007, which involved 1,042 volunteers who answered questionnaires and underwent physical evaluation, polysomnography and blood collection for hematological tests. It is expected that individuals with low or deficient serum magnesium levels present significant changes in sleep patterns, as well as higher frequencies of sleep disorders. (AU)