minerals
Magnesium (Serum)
Magnesium (Serum) focuses on the mineral measurement reported in mg/dL.
- Short name
- Mg
- Unit
- mg/dL
- Reference min
- 1.7
- Reference max
- 2.4
- Optimal min
- 2.0
- Optimal max
- 2.4
- Better when
- higher is better
- Reference min (male)
- 1.7
- Reference max (male)
- 2.4
- Reference min (female)
- 1.7
- Reference max (female)
- 2.4
- Sample
- serum
- Fasting required
- false
- Related markers
- Magnesium (RBC), Total Calcium
Moved by
Interventions that trials measured against this marker, and which way it moved.No trial has measured Magnesium (Serum) against an intervention in this library yet.
Full write-up
What is it
Magnesium (Serum) is a biomarker reflecting the amount of magnesium measured in the liquid portion of blood. It describes circulating magnesium status and provides a measurement of this mineral in the body.
How to test it
Magnesium (Serum) is measured from a serum sample obtained through a blood draw. Fasting is not required for this test, so it can be arranged without fasting beforehand. The result is reported in mg/dL and should be interpreted using the ranges shown alongside the test result.
Because this is a serum measurement, it should be distinguished from other magnesium measurements that use a different sample type. Related measurements, such as Magnesium Rbc and Calcium Total, may provide additional context when a clinician is assessing mineral status, but they are separate tests and are not substitutes for the serum result. A clinician can help determine which results are relevant for a particular medical question and how to interpret them together.
Reading your result
This is a serum magnesium result reported in mg/dL. Fasting is not required for this measurement. The reference range is 1.7 to 2.4 mg/dL, while the tighter optimal range is 2.0 to 2.4 mg/dL. The listed direction is higher is better, so results are interpreted in relation to these ranges rather than by the number alone.
A reference range describes the values used for general comparison, while an optimal range is narrower. The ranges shown are the same for males and females. A single value is not a diagnosis, and a result outside the reference range should be discussed with a clinician.