European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Background: Cataract is a leading cause of visual impairment and the senile cataract is
the most common type. The role of Serum calcium to magnesium ratio (Ca-Mg ratio) in
the pathogenesis of age-related or senile cataract remains unclear.
Objectives: The objective of the present study is to estimate serum calcium, magnesium
and their ratio levels in Senile cataract patients compared to normal healthy individual
without cataract and to find out association of serum magnesium and calcium-magnesium
ratio with risk of senile cataract.
Subjects and methods: This case-control study consists of 90 Age-related cataracts (ARC)
as cases and 90 age and gender matched normal healthy individuals without cataract as
controls (age group above 45 years). The ARC patients were sub-grouped into nuclear
cataract (NC), cortical cataract (CC), posterior sub-capsular cataract (PSC) and mixed
cataract according to WHO cataract grading system. Serum calcium was determined by
Arsenazo III method and serum magnesium by xylidyl blue method using Hitachi 902
autoanalyser.
Results: The study shows significantly decreased concentration of serum magnesium and
increased concentration of calcium-magnesium ratio (p<0.001) in ARC when compared to
control. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation of serum
magnesium with calcium was observed. Serum calcium-magnesium ratio was statistically
identified as risk factors in ARC patients by using Multivariate logistic regression analysis
(odds ratio, 5.177; 95% confidence interval, 0.483–2.805; p=0.006).
Conclusion: Decreased serum magnesium concentration and increased serum calciummagnesium
ratio were significantly associated with a high risk of cataract formation in
patients with age-related cataract.