Preventive cardiologyDietary Magnesium Intake and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women
Section snippets
Study population
The Women’s Health Study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the balance of benefits and risks of small-dose aspirin and vitamin E in the primary prevention of CVD and cancer.4 We randomized a total of 39,876 female health professionals aged 39 to 89 years who were free of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and cancer (except for nonmelanoma skin cancer). Of them, 98% provided detailed information about their diets at baseline, completing a 131-item
Results
In the present study, dietary sources accounted for about 96% of the total intake of magnesium. The median intake of magnesium was 326 mg/day for our cohort of middle-aged women, which is close to the recommended dietary allowance of 320 mg/day for adult women.12 There was an approximately 1.7-fold difference in total magnesium intake between the highest and lowest quintiles of the study population (median 433 mg/day in the highest quintile vs 255 mg/day in the lowest quintile; Table 1). Women
Discussion
In this large prospective study of middle-aged and older American women, we found no significant association between magnesium intake and the incidence of total CVD, CHD, nonfatal MI, or stroke, although there was a suggestion of a lower risk for total stroke and ischemic stroke associated with larger intakes of magnesium.
Magnesium intake has long been believed to be protective against CVD, mortality, or arrhythmias after CVD.2 Abnormalities in intracellular magnesium homeostasis have been
Acknowledgment
We are indebted to the 39,876 dedicated and committed participants of the Women’s Health Study. We also acknowledge the contributions of the entire staff of the Women’s Health Study.
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This study was supported by Grants DK66401, CA-47988, HL-43851, and HL-65727 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Song was supported by the Irene and Fredrick J. Stare Nutrition Education Fund from the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.