HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Higher Magnesium Status Associated with Less Cardiovascular Disease

Study Abstract

BACKGROUND: Since taurine (T) administration was proven to decrease blood pressure (BP) and stroke mortality in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertension rates (SHRSP) in the 1980's and our WHO-coordinated CARDIAC (Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison) Study demonstrated that among 5 diet-related factors, namely total cholesterol (T-Cho), body mass index (BMI), sodium (Na), magnesium (M), and T to creatinine (Cr) ratio in 24-hour urine (24U), both T/Cr and M/Cr were inversely related to coronary heart disease mortalities in males and females and T/Cr was inversely related to stroke mortalities in males and females. We further analyzed the associations of individual T/Cr and M/Cr levels to cardiovascular risks in the present study.

METHOD: From WHO-CARDIAC Study populations, 61 populations of 25 countries in the world, Japanese populations with obviously higher 24U T excretion because of their common fish eating custom and the other populations in which both data of T and M were not available were excluded and the data of 3960 individuals from 41 WHO-CARDIAC Study populations were used for the following analyses.

RESULTS: The means of 24U T/Cr and M/Cr ratios in total individual data were 639.4 and 82.8, respectively. The average of BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), T-Cho and atherogenic index (AI) in the individuals with more than the means of T/Cr or M/Cr were significantly lower than those of individuals with less than the means. The CARDIAC Study participants were divided into the following 4 groups by these means: A (T/Cr and M/Cr > or = mean), B (T/Cr > or = mean, M/Cr < mean), C (T/Cr < mean, M/Cr > or = mean), D (T/Cr and M/Cr < mean). The group A showed significantly lower values compared with the group D in BMI, SBP, DBP, T-Cho, and AI.

CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risks were proven to be highly significantly lower in individuals who were excreting both 24U T and M, more than the averages despite differences in ethnicity and genetic background. Since T and M are biomarkers for seafood, vegetables, soy, nuts, milk, etc., dietary custom to eat these food sources could be recommended for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Study Information

Yamori Y, Taguchi T, Mori H, Mori M.
Low cardiovascular risks in the middle aged males and females excreting greater 24-hour urinary taurine and magnesium in 41 WHO-CARDIAC study populations in the world.
J Biomed Sci.
2010 August
Mukogawa Women's University Institute for World Health Development, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 6638143, Japan.