Magnesium
A mineral involved in hundreds of processes including muscle, nerve, and energy function. Often measured when symptoms suggest a deficiency.
Typical reference range
| Range | Unit |
|---|---|
| 0.71–0.94 | mmol/l |
What Magnesium measures
Magnesium is an essential mineral that acts as a helper in hundreds of enzyme reactions across the body. It supports nerve and muscle function, a steady heart rhythm, energy production, and bone structure.
A blood panel typically reports serum magnesium, which reflects only a small fraction of the body's total magnesium. Most is stored inside bone and cells, so a result in the normal range does not fully rule out depletion in the tissues. Because of this, a single value is best read as one signal among many rather than a complete picture.
Clinicians often interpret magnesium alongside calcium, potassium, and kidney function, since these are closely linked. Patterns across several markers usually tell more than any one number on its own.
What a high Magnesium can mean
A high magnesium level (hypermagnesemia) is uncommon in people with healthy kidneys, because the kidneys are efficient at clearing excess magnesium.
When it does appear, it is most commonly associated with:
- Reduced kidney clearance, as seen in kidney disease, which limits how much magnesium the body can remove
- Large or repeated intakes of magnesium-containing supplements, laxatives, or antacids
When markedly elevated, higher magnesium can be linked with effects such as muscle weakness, lower blood pressure, and slowed reflexes. Milder elevations often produce no noticeable symptoms at all.
A single raised value does not diagnose a condition. It can suggest a closer look at kidney function and any supplements or medications being taken. The most useful next step is to discuss the result with a clinician, who can view it in the context of your overall health and other lab work.
What a low Magnesium can mean
A low magnesium level (hypomagnesemia) is more common than a high one and can arise from several everyday causes.
It is often associated with:
- Losses through the gut, such as diarrhea or malabsorption conditions
- Certain medications, including some diuretics and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
- Heavy alcohol use or poorly controlled diabetes
- Consistently low dietary intake
Low magnesium can contribute to muscle cramps and twitching, and it can make low potassium and low calcium difficult to correct until the magnesium itself is restored. In some cases it may also affect heart rhythm.
Because magnesium interacts with so many other systems, a low reading is best interpreted by a clinician, who can consider possible causes, current medications, and related markers before deciding whether anything needs to change.
Track your Magnesium over time in Quanome — it reads your lab reports (PDF or photo) on your device, charts each marker against its range, and an AI coach explains what your trends mean alongside your Apple Health and DNA.