Symptoms consist of irritability, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, dry skin, and scaling of skin. Intracranial pressure is increased, and characteristic bony changes are demonstrable on X-ray examination. An extremely high plasma level of vitamin A occurs in this disorder. Magnesium is an essential element in human metabolism and functions in the activities of muscles and nerves, protein synthesis, and many other reactions. Magnesium deficiency may occur in alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, and renal diseases.
Prolonged deficiency can cause changes in heart and skeletal muscle.
Excessive retention of magnesium can occur in renal disease and results in muscle weakness and hypertension. Vitamin D primarily regulates calcium metabolism by determining the movement of calcium from intestines to blood and from blood to bone. Thus vitamin D is today more legitimately considered a hormone rather than a vitamin. In tropical countries, where exposure to sunlight is high, vitamin D deficiency is rare. It is much more common in northern regions.