Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the body.

It is important in over 300 reactions in the body. The recommended
daily intake of magnesium is310 to 420 mgday
i
. In !merica " #$%
are deficient
ii

Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic &yndrome is characteri'ed as group of risk
factors (hich increases the risk for coronary heart disease" stroke
and peripheral vascular disease. These risk factors are "
hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and a pro-inflammatory
state.
Hypertension
Magnesium (as first recommended as a therapy of
malignant hypertension as early as 1)2*
iii
. +igh blood pressure has
been sho(n to cause endothelial damage (hich leads to
atherosclerosis. ,esearch has sho( there is a change in vascular
smooth muscle tone (ith changes in magnesium. This change is due
to magnesium controlling the intracellular deposition of calcium. In
cases (here magnesium is lo( there (ill be an increase in vascular
smooth muscle tone. This results in an increases in peripheral
vascular resistance (hich leads to increased blood pressure. -ne
study found a decrease in both systolic and diastolic pressure by an
average of 12$ mm+g. !ffects seem to occur (ith doses bet(een
#00 and 1000mg
iv
.
Intracellular free magnesium in erythrocytes of essential
hypertension: Relation to blood pressure and serum divalent
cations
Resnick LM, Gupta RK and Laragh JH
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 1!"# $ol !%&cto'er() *+11,*+1+.
Obective: To investigate if hypertension is linked to abnormalities
of intracellular free magnesium or total serum magnesium levels
.free / e0tracellular1
Subects:
+ypertensive untreated .+i2314 11
5ormotensive on therapy .+i236,014 $
+ypertensive no medical treatment .5714 8
Method:
2lood pressure (as taken and peripheral venous blood (as
dra(n after a night of fasting. &erum magnesium levels (ere
measured using an autoanaly'er. Intracellular free magnesium
(as measured using an 5M, spectrometer. 9alculations (ere
used to determine the free magnesium using the information from
the 5M, spectra.
Results: Modified from table 1
Group BP (mmHG) Total Mg
meq/L
Free Mg
uM
57 12$:$84:3 1.)2:0.04 2#1:).$
+i23 1#*:8102:3; 1.$2:0.04 1)2:$.0;
+i236,0 1*0:$$3:1 1.$):0.04 238:8.$
; significance level4 0.001 vs. normotensive
+igh blood pressure (ith no treatment has the lo(est
magnesium intracellular free magnesium
5o difference in total Mg
&ystolic correlated negatively (ith intracellular free Mg
<iastolic correlated even more strongly inversely (ith
intracellular free Mg.
!onclusion: Those (ith lo(er free magnesium (ould be associated
(ith higher intracellular free calcium and thus be associated
proportionally (ith higher blood pressures.
Hyperlipidemia"Hypercholesterolemia
+igh levels of lipoproteins have been sho(n to cause
damage to endothelial (alls. This causes an increase in calcium
ion permeability" invasion of macrophages and alterations in
smooth muscle cells causes atherosclerosis
v
7o( levels of magnesium have been sho(n to enhance
the development of atherogenic lesions and have been linked to a
decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides in normal .2*63*%1 as
(ell as atherosclerotic .20640%1 animals
vi
.
#therogenic lipid fractions are related to ioni$ed magnesium
status
+aenni" !+" -hrvall M = 7ithell" +. !m > 9lin 5utr" 1))$?
#8420268.
Obective: To investigate the associations bet(een variables
reflecting lipid and glucose metabolism and ioni'ed magnesium
.iMg1 and serum total magnesium .tMg1 concentrations
Subects: 2) &(edish men (ith mean age 82.* years (ith
impaired insulin sensitivity. T(o .21 (ere on beta blockers and
t(o .21 (ere on diuretics. Three .31 (ere smokers.
Methods: The study measured tricylglycerol cholesterol
concentrations" @7<7" 7<7" +<7" serum fatty acids"
apolipoproteins" plasma iMg and tMA.
!n intravenous glucose tolerance test (as performed. 3lasma
insulin concentrations" glucose uptake" and plasma glucose (ere
also measured.
Results:
iMg (as inversely correlated (ith4
@7<7
7<7
7<74+<7
Total cholesterol
@7<l tricacylglycerol
Total triacylglycerol
tMg tended to inversely correlated (ith the above but not
significant.
2oth" iMg and tMg" (ere not correlated (ith +<7
5ote4
There (as also noted a correlation (ith insulin increment and the
area under the curve during an intravenous glucose tolerance test
(ere inversely correlated (ith iMg but not tMg.
!onclusion: atherogenic lipid fractions are more closely
associated (ith concentration of plasma iMg than serum tMg.
%ro-inflammatory state
Metabolic syndrome predisposes an individual to cardiovascular
disease and type II diabetes among other things. -ne of the
conditions for metabolic syndrome that increases risk of these
diseases is a pro6inflammatory state. ,ecent advances

in basic
science have established a fundamental role for inflammation

in
mediating all stages of atherosclerosis from initiation through

progression and" ultimately" the thrombotic complications of

atherosclerosis.
vii
It is kno(n that lo(6grade inflammation
precedes and predicts

diabetes development in adults.
viii
The
current state of inflammation in the body can be measured by the
level of 96reactive protein in the blood. 96reactive protein is a
cytokine of the immune system made in the liver. 3eople (ith the
metabolic syndrome are more likely to have elevated 96reactive
protein levels. ! study done by B.&ong and colleagues found that
(omen (ho had more magnesium in their diets had lo(er levels
of 96reactive protein.
i0
The study also found that these (omen
(ere less likely to have the metabolic syndrome and heart and blood
vessel disease.
0
It is important to note that this study used
magnesium levels that (ere present in the diet" so it is not safe to
assume that supplemental magnesium (ould have the same effect.
!lso" it is possible that something in the diet other than magnesium
(as responsible for the findings.
Relationship bet&een serum magnesium levels and !-reactive
protein concentration, non-diabetic, non-hypertensive obese
subects.
Auerrero6,omero C" ,odriDue'6Moran M. International >ournal of
-besity. 2002? @ol.2#4 4#)6484.
Obective: To e0amine the relationship bet(een serum magnesium
and 96reactive protein in non6diabetic" non6hypertensive obese
subEects.
Subects: There (ere 318 subEects" 101 (ere men and 280 (ere
(omen. 13$ (ere lean" 133 (ere over (eight and 100 (ere obese.
3regnancy" alcohol consumption" cigarette smoking" diabetes" high
blood pressure" cardiovascular disease" coronary heart disease" renal
disease" chronic disorders of the Eoints and connective tissue" acute
infectious disease and malignancy (ere e0clusion criteria.
Measurements: ! 8*g oral glucose load after 10 hours overnight
fasting (as performed. 2lood samples (ere taken before and 2
hours after the glucose load. &erum glucose (as measured. 7ipid
profiles (ere measured. 96reactive protein concentration (as also
measured. &erum magnesium concentrations (ere measured by
colorimetric method.
Results:
The lo(est levels of magnesium (ere found in the obese
subEects..
$2.1% of those (ith lo( serum magnesium concentrations
.* over(eight and 1$ obese1 had c6reactive protein
concentrations higher than 10mgl.
!onclusion:
There is a relationship bet(een lo( serum magnesium
concentrations and high c6reactive proteins in non6hypertensive"
non6diabetic obese subEects.
i
Fing <G" Mainous !A" Aeesey MG = Hooson ,C. <ietary magnesium and c6reactive protein levels. >ournal of the
!merican 9ollege of 5utrition. 200*? @ol.314 1##6181.
ii
Fing <G" Mainous !A" Aeesey MG = Hooson ,C. <ietary magnesium and c6reactive protein levels. >ournal of the
!merican 9ollege of 5utrition. 200*? @ol.314 1##6181.
iii
,esnick 7M" Aupta ,F" 7aragh >+. Intracellular free magnesium in erthyrocytes of essential hypertension4 ,elation to
blood pressure and serum divalent cations. 3roc. 5atl. !cad. &ci." 1)$4? @ol $.-ctober14 #*116#*1*.
iv
Magnesium. (((.naturaldatabase.com
v
!ltura 2T" 2rust M" 2loom &" 2arbour ,7" &tempak >A = !ltura 2M. Magnesium dietary intake modulates blood lipid
levels and atherogensis. 3roc. 5atl. !cad. &ci I&!" 1))0? @ol $8.March14 1$4061$44.
vi
!ltura 2T" 2rust M" 2loom &" 2arbour ,7" &tempak >A = !ltura 2M. Magnesium dietary intake modulates blood lipid
levels and atherogensis. 3roc. 5atl. !cad. &ci I&!" 1))0? @ol $8.March14 1$4061$44.
vii
7ibby 3" Maseri !" ,idker 3. Inflammation and !therosclerosis. -irculation. 2002? 10*4113*.
viii
&chmidt MI" <uncan 22" &harrett !," 7indberg A" &avage 3>" -ffenbacher &" !'ambuEa MI" Tracy ,3" +eiss A.
Markers of inflammation and prediction of diabetes mellitus in adults .!therosclerosis ,isk in 9ommunities &tudy14 a
cohort study. 7ancet. 1)))? 3*3 41#4) J1#*2.
i0
&ong B" and colleagues. Magnesium intake" 96reactive protein" and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle
aged and older I.&. (omen. <iabetes 9are. 200*? 2$4143$61444.
0
&ong B" and colleagues. Magnesium intake" 96reactive protein" and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle
aged and older I.&. (omen. <iabetes 9are. 200*? 2$4143$61444.