MEDLINE ABSTRACT
Magnesium in drinking water and ischemic heart disease
AUTHOR: Marx A; Neutra RR
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Division of Environmental and
Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Health
Services, Emeryville, USA.
SOURCE: Epidemiol Rev 1997;19(2):258-72
The associations found in the general populations of a number
of different countries are suggestive and warrant an integrated
program of laboratory and epidemiologic research to reject or
confirm the magnesium-IHD hypothesis. Singling out this
particular risk factor has two justifications. First, as would be
the case with any epidemiologic risk factor for HID whose
attributable risk was large enough to be detectable through
epidemiology, applying that attributable risk to the vast annual
morbidity and mortality from HID would translate into tens of
thousands of lives benefited and millions of dollars in hospital
costs avoided per year. Second, this particular risk factor could
conceivably be eliminated by an inexpensive supplementation
program. For example, a low-sodium, higher-magnesium and
-potassium table salt has been recommended and used in Finland
for many years, during a period when the prevalence of
hypertension in population surveys was said to decrease (117).
Interventions which do not require behavioral change have always
been the most cost-effective in public health. We therefore urge
funding agencies to give priority to studies determining whether
there are unforeseen adverse effects of magnesium for some
population subgroups and whether the apparent benefit derived
from low doses of magnesium in the development of HID or HID
death is real. Furthermore, researchers should determine which
chemical form of magnesium is best absorbed and most effective.
We need to better understand the interrelation of various water
and food constituents, as well as individual risk factors, in the
pathogenesis of HID. Susceptible individuals who are at higher
risk of being depleted of magnesium need to be identified, and
potential untoward effects of magnesium should be studied. Future
research must provide better answers about low level waterborne
magnesium before recommendations to the public can be made.
This page was first uploaded to The Magnesium Web Site on June
13, 1998
http://www.mgwater.com/
Healthy Water
Association--USA