Dietary magnesium supplementation in cats with chronic kidney disease: A prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial

Tang, PK; van den Broek, DHN; Jepson, RE; Geddes, RF; Chang, YM; Loetter, N; Moniot, D; Biourge, V; Elliott, J

Abstract

Background: Plasma total magnesium concentration (tMg) is a prognostic indicator in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), shorter survival time being associated with hypomagnesemia. Whether this risk factor is modifiable with dietary magnesium supplementation remains unexplored. Objectives: Evaluate effects of a magnesium-enriched phosphate-restricted diet (PRD) on CKD-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) variables. Animals: Sixty euthyroid client-owned cats with azotemic CKD, with 27 and 33 allocated to magnesium-enriched PRD or control PRD, respectively. Methods: Prospective double-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Cats with CKD, stabilized on a PRD, without hypermagnesemia (tMg >2.43 mg/dL) or hypercalcemia (plasma ionized calcium concentration, (iCa) >6 mg/dL), were recruited. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol (eating >= 50% of study diet) analyses were performed; effects of dietary magnesium supplementation on clinicopathological variables were evaluated using linear mixed effects models. Results: In the per-protocol analysis, tMg increased in cats consuming a magnesium-enriched PRD (beta, 0.25 +/- .07 mg/dL/month; P < .001). Five magnesium supplemented cats had tMg >2.92 mg/dL, but none experienced adverse effects. Rate of change in iCa differed between groups (P = .01), with decreasing and increasing trends observed in cats fed magnesium-enriched PRD and control PRD, respectively. Four control cats developed ionized hypercalcemia versus none in the magnesium supplemented group. Log-transformed plasma fibroblast growth factor-23 concentration (FGF23) increased significantly in controls (beta, 0.14 +/- .05 pg/mL/month; P = .01), but remained stable in the magnesium supplemented group (beta, 0.05 +/-.06 pg/mL/month; P =.37). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Magnesium-enriched PRD is a novel therapeutic strategy for managing feline CKD-MBD in cats, further stabilizing plasma FGF23 and preventing hypercalcemia.

Citation

Tang, P., van den Broek, D., Jepson, R., Geddes, R., Chang, Y., Loetter, N., …Elliott, J. (2024). Dietary magnesium supplementation in cats with chronic kidney disease: A prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17134

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 31, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 1, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2024
• Print ISSN: 0891-6640
• Publisher: Wiley Open Access
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17134
• Keywords: anti-calcemic; calcium; CKD-MBD; fibroblast growth factor-23; hypercalcemia; magnesium oxide; INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS; GROWTH-FACTOR 23; HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS; SERUM MAGNESIUM; INTESTINAL-ABSORPTION; CALCIUM-ABSORPTION; PHOSPHATE; BONE; CALCIFICATION; META