Serum magnesium levels in patients with hypertension

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in adults and one of the main reasons for morbidity.1 Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.2 Factors implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension, include changes in intracellular concentrations of calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium with an inverse correlation between serum magnesium and incidence of cardiovascular events.3 Experimental studies have shown a relationship between low serum and tissue magnesium levels and hypertension.4 Clinical and experimental studies have also shown a relationship between low dietary intake of magnesium with hypertension indicating a potential role of magnesium in the pathogenesis of hypertension. However, the mechanism is unclear.5,6 Effects of magnesium on smooth muscle cell growth and inflammation have been suggested to play a role.7 The role of serum/ dietary magnesium intake on cardiovascular disease, carot id intima-media thickness (CIMT), hypertension and cholesterol synthesis has been investigated. 8 Lower concentrations of magnesium are known to be associated with oxidat ive stress, proinflammatory state, endothelial dysfunction, platelet aggregation, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia.7 Thus magnesium appears to play a vital function in cardiovascular stability and health, but an optimal dose and formulation has not been defined. Potentially promising avenues include the combination of magnesium with a statin to reduce cholesterol, C-reactive protein, CIMT, and its early use to reduce stroke morbidity and mortality.8 There are also reports on lack of association between low serum magnesium and risk of hypertension.9 Also, there are conflicting results on the effect of dietary intake of magnesium and risk of hypertension.10,11 Therefore, further studies are needed before advising this mineral supplementation as part of antihypertensive treatment.7 With this background the present study was taken up to assess serum magnesium levels in south Indian population with hypertension.