Posted by: Kevin G. Parker, D.C.
Link to article: Urinary and plasma magnesium and risk of ischemic heart disease-
Key Points
1. Up to 80% of Americans are hurting their health by failing to get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Magnesium that protects against heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, and other dangerous disorders.
2. This essential nutrient is required by every cell in your body.
3. The researchers checked the magnesium levels of 7,664 initially healthy people (using urine tests), then tracked the participants for an average of 10.5 years. Those with the lowest urinary levels of magnesium were 70% more likely to die from heart disease, compared to people with higher levels, even after other cardiovascular threats were taken into consideration.
4. Low magnesium levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease, while a diet that’s rich in this vital mineral may be protective.
5. Most of us eat a dangerously unbalanced diet that’s too high in calcium and too low in magnesium.
6. The article, which analyzes decades of peer-reviewed science-reports that low magnesium levels—not cholesterol or saturated fat—is the leading predictor of heart disease.
7. The article argues that medical research took “an early wrong turn” by ignoring studies dating back to 1957 showing that lack of this essential mineral may actually cause plaque buildup in arteries.
Urinary and plasma magnesium and risk of ischemic heart disease-
Michel M Joosten, Ron T Gansevoort, Kenneth J Mukamal, Pim van der Harst, Johanna M Geleijnse, Edith JM Feskens, Gerjan Navis, Stephan JL Bakker, for The PREVEND Study Group
+ Author Affiliations
From the Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, Netherlands (MMJ, JMG, EJMF, and SJLB); the Departments of Internal Medicine (MMJ, RTG, GN, and SJLB) and Cardiology (PvdH), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands; the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (MMJ and KJM); and the Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands (JMG and EJMF).
+ Author Notes
Supported by research grant CH 001 from the Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Netherlands. The PREVEND study has been made possible by grants from the Dutch Kidney Foundation.
Address correspondence to MM Joosten, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. E-mail: m.m.joosten@umcg.nl.
Abstract
Conclusions: Low urinary magnesium excretion was independently associated with a higher risk of IHD incidence. An increased dietary intake of magnesium, particularly in those with the lowest urinary magnesium, could reduce the risk of IHD.
Background: Previous studies on dietary magnesium and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) have yielded inconsistent results, in part because of a lack of direct measures of actual magnesium uptake. Urinary excretion of magnesium, an indicator of dietary magnesium uptake, might provide more consistent results.
Objective: The objective was to investigate whether urinary magnesium excretion and plasma magnesium are associated with IHD risk.
Design: We examined 7664 adult participants free of known cardiovascular disease in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) study—a prospective population-based cohort study. Urinary magnesium excretion was measured in 2 baseline 24-h urine collections.
Results: Mean ± SD urinary magnesium excretion was 4.24 ± 1.65 mmol/24 h for men and 3.54 ± 1.40 mmol/24 h for women. During a median follow-up of 10.5 y (IQR: 9.9–10.8 y), 462 fatal and nonfatal IHD events occurred. After multivariable adjustment, urinary magnesium excretion had a nonlinear relation with IHD risk (P-curvature = 0.01). The lowest sex-specific quintile (men: <2.93 mmol/24 h; women: <2.45 mmol/24 h) had an increased risk of fatal and nonfatal IHD (multivariable HR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.00) compared with the upper 4 quintiles of urinary magnesium excretion. A similar increase in risk of the lowest quintile was observed for mortality related to IHD (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.61). No associations were observed between circulating magnesium and risk of IHD.
Received October 30, 2012.
Related articles:
Magnesium-Restoring Immune Function-Science 2013
Magnesium helps Brain injury-Chin J Traumatol 2002
Magnesium-Prevent Muscle Cramps
MAGNESIUM-The Anti-Stress Mineral
Adjust2it's Blog 
Leave a Reply