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Higher magnesium intake linked to decreased coronary artery calcification
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Recent study data suggest that higher dietary and supplemental magnesium intake is inversely related to coronary artery calcification, which may partially explain the protective effects of magnesium against MI and stroke.
In a cross-sectional study, researchers collected dietary and risk factor data from 2,695 participants enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study. Patients were aged 53 ± 11 years, CVD-free and underwent scanning of the heart and abdomen via multidetector CT. The researchers assessed coronary artery calcification and abdominal aortic calcification.
Participants self-reported their dietary habits and nutritional supplement intake using the Harvard 126-item, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Patients also were interviewed to determine demographic information, medication use, smoking status, alcohol use, menopausal status and exercise habits. Researchers analyzed blood samples to determine total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, C-reactive protein and glomerular filtration rate.
Across the entire cohort, the mean adjusted self-reported daily magnesium intake was 338 mg/day. Coronary artery calcification was observed in 43.7% of patients, whereas 52.9% had detectable abdominal aortic calcification.
After adjusting for all variables, each 50 mg/day increment of self-reported total magnesium intake was associated with a 22% reduction in coronary artery calcification (P<.001), whereas an association with a 12% decrease in abdominal aortic calcification approached statistical significance (P=.07). The researchers also found that the likelihood of having any coronary artery calcification was 58% lower (P<.001 for trend), and the likelihood of any abdominal aortic calcification was 34% lower (P=.01 for trend) among participants reporting the highest vs. the lowest daily magnesium intake. These inverse associations were both stronger in female participants; however, no significant interaction with sex was observed in sex-specific exploratory analyses.
“Our observations suggest that future research may consider magnesium’s effect on [coronary artery calcification] to be a potential physiological mechanism through which dietary magnesium mitigates risk of stroke, non-fatal MI and fatal CHD,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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