ASSOCIATIONS OF SERUM AND DIETARY MAGNESIUM WITH CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, INSULIN, AND CAROTID ARTERIAL-WALL THICKNESS - THE ARIC STUDY

The objective of this study was to examine the relationships of serum and dietary magnesium (Mg) with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) , hypertension, diabetes mellitus, fasting insulin, and average caroti d intimal-medial wall thickness measured by B-mode ultrasound. A cross -sectional design was used. The setting was the Atherosclerosis Risk i n Communities (ARIC) Study in four US communities. A total of 25,248 p articipants took part, male and female, black and white, aged 45-64 ye ars. Fasting serum Mg, lipids, fasting glucose and insulin were measur ed; as was usual dietary intake by food frequency questionnaire and ca rotid intima-media thickness by standardized B-mode ultrasound methods . The results showed that serum Mg levels and dietary Mg intake were b oth lower in blacks than whites. Mean serum Mg levels were significant ly lower in participants with prevalent CVD, hypertension, and diabete s than in those free of these diseases. In participants without CVD, s erum Mg levels were also inversely associated with fasting serum insul in, glucose, systolic blood pressure and smoking. Dietary Mg intake wa s inversely associated with fasting serum insulin, plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Adjus ted for age, race, body mass index, smoking, hypertension. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and field center, mean carotid wall thicknes s increased in women by 0.0118 mm (p = 0.006) in diuretic users and 0. 0048 mm (p = 0.017) in nonusers for each 0.1 mmol/l decrease in serum Mg level; the multivariate association in men was not significant. In conclusion, low serum and dietary Mg may be related to the etiologies of CVD, hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.