ChristopherExley, Professor, Keele Universityc.exley@keele.ac.uk
Submitted October 23, 2017
As Kieboom et al. rightly point out in their dementia-risk association article, serum magnesium is not usually an accurate estimate of body status, [1] never mind magnesium in the brain. When exploring reasons why magnesium homeostasis might be important in dementia, it is well worth considering that aluminium is magnesium's major antagonist in biochemical systems and will easily displace magnesium from active sites in myriad biochemical processes. Where and when aluminium substitutes for magnesium, some form of dysfunction will result. [2] If aluminium is contributing to dementia, [3] then a link between magnesium homeostasis and disease can be expected.
1. Kieboom BCT, Licher S, Wolters FJ, et al. Serum magnesium is associated with the risk of dementia. Neurology Epub 2017 Sep 20.
2. Exley C. What is the risk of aluminium as a neurotoxin? Expert Rev Neurother 2014;14:589-591.
3. Exley C. Aluminum Should Now Be Considered a Primary Etiological Factor in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alz Dis Rep 2017;1:23-25. Avaiable at: http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-
reports/adr170010. Accessed September 25, 2017.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.
As Kieboom et al. rightly point out in their dementia-risk association article, serum magnesium is not usually an accurate estimate of body status, [1] never mind magnesium in the brain. When exploring reasons why magnesium homeostasis might be important in dementia, it is well worth considering that aluminium is magnesium's major antagonist in biochemical systems and will easily displace magnesium from active sites in myriad biochemical processes. Where and when aluminium substitutes for magnesium, some form of dysfunction will result. [2] If aluminium is contributing to dementia, [3] then a link between magnesium homeostasis and disease can be expected.
1. Kieboom BCT, Licher S, Wolters FJ, et al. Serum magnesium is associated with the risk of dementia. Neurology Epub 2017 Sep 20.
2. Exley C. What is the risk of aluminium as a neurotoxin? Expert Rev Neurother 2014;14:589-591.
3. Exley C. Aluminum Should Now Be Considered a Primary Etiological Factor in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alz Dis Rep 2017;1:23-25. Avaiable at: http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease- reports/adr170010. Accessed September 25, 2017.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.