Stroke risk reduced by magnesium

Stroke risk is reduced by higher plasma magnesium levels according to data from 32,826 women in the Nurses’ Health Study presented in a paper just published in the journal Stroke. The authors note:

"Lower plasma magnesium levels may be associated with higher blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction, but sparse prospective data are available for stroke."

So they compared plasma magnesium in stroke cases with controls matched for age, race/ethnicity, smoking status, date of blood draw, fasting status, menopausal status, and hormone use. Women with magnesium levels* that I see in lab reports had a signficantly increased risk for stroke:

"Conditional on matching factors, women in the lowest magnesium quintile had a relative risk of 1.34 for total ischemic stroke compared with women in the highest quintile. Additional adjustment for risk factors and confounders did not substantially alter the risk estimates for total ischemic stroke. Women with magnesium levels <0.82 mmol/L* had significantly greater risk of total ischemic stroke (multivariable relative risk, 1.57) and thrombotic stroke (multivariable relative risk, 1.66) compared with women with magnesium levels ≥0.82 mmol/L. No significant effect modification was observed by age, body mass index, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus."

Magnesium is an anti-inflammatory agent

Clinical key  point: Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease have a well-known inflammatory component. Besides lowering blood pressure and promoting healthy endothelial function, magnesium is 'nature's anti-inflammatory mineral' that supports parasympathetic nervous system function with a calming, anti-spasmodic effect.* Plasma magnesium <0.82 mmol/L = 2.0 mg/dL.The authors conclude:

"Lower plasma magnesium levels may contribute to higher risk of ischemic stroke among women."

Magnesium, inflammation and endothelial function

Regarding additional mechanisms by which magnesium status is linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides evidence that magnesium is important for endothelial (blood vessel lining) health:

"We conducted a cross-sectional study of 657 women from the Nurses' Health Study cohort who were aged 43-69 y and free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes mellitus when blood was drawn in 1989 and 1990. Plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 2 (sTNF-R2), E-selectin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were measured. Estimates from 2 semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires, administered in 1986 and 1990, were averaged to assess dietary intakes."

E-selectin recruits white blood cells to engage in the endothelial inflammatory process. The authors demonstrated a  role for magnesium significant for stroke:

"...magnesium intake was inversely associated with plasma concentrations of CRP, E-selectin, and sICAM-1. After further adjustment for physical activity, smoking status, alcohol use, postmenopausal hormone use, and body mass index, dietary magnesium intake remained inversely associated with CRP and E-selectin. Multivariate-adjusted geometric means for women in the highest quintile of dietary magnesium intake were 24% lower for CRP and 14% lower for E-selectin than those for women in the lowest quintile."

Magnesium reduces CRP

A recent study published in Archives of Medical Research also shows anti-inflammatory effect of magnesium in lowering CRP:

"It has been suggested that magnesium deficiency is associated with the triggering of acute phase response, which may contribute to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. We undertook this study to determine whether oral magnesium supplementation modifies serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in apparently healthy subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia."

The authors examined the effect of magnesium supplementation on 62 men and non-pregnant women aged 18–65 years who were newly diagnosed with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium levels <0.74 mmol/L/1.8 mg/dL) for the effects of daily supplementation with magnesium in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, leading to their conclusion...

"Oral magnesium supplementation decreases hsCRP levels in apparently healthy subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia."