[pronut-hiv] Higher Magnesium Intake May Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome

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Higher Magnesium Intake May Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome  
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/528661

March 28, 2006 * Magnesium intake in young adults is inversely proportional to the risk for metabolic syndrome, according to the results of a prospective study reported in the March 27 Rapid Access issue of Circulation.

"Studies suggest that magnesium intake may be inversely related to risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus and that higher intake of magnesium may decrease blood triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels," write Ka He, MD, ScD, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Ill, and colleagues. "However, the longitudinal association of magnesium intake and incidence of metabolic syndrome has not been investigated.... Most of the current knowledge on the influence of magnesium on the risk of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes comes from studies of middle-aged and older adults or diabetes patients."

The investigators prospectively examined the relationship between magnesium intake and incident metabolic syndrome in 4637 Americans, aged 18 to 30 years, who were free from metabolic syndrome and diabetes at baseline. Criteria for metabolic syndrome were those defined by The National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III). Interviewers administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire to evaluate diet, and the nutrient database developed by the Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center was used to derive magnesium intake.

During 15 years of follow-up, there were 608 incident cases of metabolic syndrome. Magnesium intake was inversely associated with incidence of metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for major lifestyle and dietary variables and for baseline status of each component of the metabolic syndrome.

Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of magnesium intake, those in the highest quartile had a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of metabolic syndrome of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 - 0.91; P for trend < .01). Sex and race did not significantly affect these inverse associations. Magnesium intake was also inversely related to individual components of the metabolic syndrome and to fasting insulin levels.

"Our findings suggest that young adults with higher magnesium intake have lower risk of development of metabolic syndrome," the authors write. "Experimental data suggest that magnesium may directly regulate cellular glucose metabolism through its role as a cofactor for a number of relevant enzymes and may influence insulin secretion by interacting with cellular calcium homeostasis. In addition, epidemiological studies and clinical trials indicate that magnesium intake may improve insulin sensitivity."

Potential study limitations include concerns over the accuracy of the measurement for magnesium intake; inability to separate the observed beneficial effect of magnesium intake from that of other minerals such as calcium and potassium; and observational design with possible residual confounding.

"In conclusion, our results provide prospective evidence that magnesium intake is inversely associated with incident metabolic syndrome and its components in healthy young adults independent of their baseline body mass index," the authors conclude. "Our study also raises a further question: Will higher magnesium intake prevent people from developing metabolic syndrome, which leads to diabetes and coronary heart disease? Further studies, particularly well-designed randomized trials, are warranted."

This study was supported by N01-HC contracts. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Circulation. Posted online March 27, 2006.