Association of magnesium in serum and urine with carotid intima-media thickness and serum lipids in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a community-based cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies suggested that magnesium (Mg) might protect against atherosclerosis, but data were scarce in an Asian population. We examined the association of Mg levels in serum and urine with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and serum lipids in Chinese adults.


METHODS
This community-based cross-sectional study recruited 2,837 participants aged 40-75 years in Guangzhou, China. General information, lifestyle factors, serum and urinary concentrations of Mg and cardiometabolic factors were determined. The cIMTs of the common carotid artery (CCA) and the carotid bifurcation (BIF) were measured ultrasonographically.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) concentration of serum Mg was 0.85 (0.07) mmol/L and median (IQR) for urinary Mg excretion was 2.29 (1.56-3.51) mmol/L. After adjustment for potential covariates, both serum and the urinary concentrations of Mg were inversely associated with CCA-IMT, but not with BIF-IMT. The regression coefficients (standard errors) were -100 (29) µm (total), -86 (34) µm (women) and -117 (52) µm (men) CCA-IMT per 1 mmol/L of serum Mg, and -41 (8) µm (total), -41 (10) µm (women) and -44 (15) µm (men) CCA-IMT per 1 unit of urinary Mg/creatinine (log mmol/mmol) (all p < 0.05), respectively. Higher serum Mg levels were associated with higher total cholesterol, HDLc, LDLc and triglyceride, but lower non-HDLc/HDLc in total population (all p < 0.05). Similar relationships of urinary Mg with lipoproteins were also found in total population (all p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of serum and urinary Mg are associated with lower CCA-IMTs, and the role of Mg in lipid metabolism needs further investigation.
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
Yi
Y
Cao
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
Cheng
C
Wang
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
Ke
K
Guan
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
Ying
Y
Xu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. suyx@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. suyx@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Yi-xiang
YX
Su
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. chenyum@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. chenyum@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Yu-ming
YM
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002681:China; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D008274:Magnesium
Carotid intima-media thickness; Chinese adults; Lipids; Magnesium; Serum; Urine