Key result
Lower serum magnesium (<0.78 mmol/L) was associated with a higher risk of incident atrial fibrillation (HR 1.34) compared to individuals with average levels, whereas dietary magnesium showed no association.
Why the study?
Is lower serum or dietary magnesium associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation in adults?
Cohort (n=14,290)
Yes
Is lower serum or dietary magnesium associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation in adults?
Lower serum magnesium levels are associated with a significantly higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation over long-term follow-up, independent of race.
Serum magnesium may mark higher AF risk but should not yet change practice; leaves open whether supplementation prevents incident AF.
BACKGROUND: Low serum magnesium (Mg) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including ventricular arrhythmias, but the association between serum or dietary Mg and atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 14,290 men and women (75% white; 53% female; mean age, 54 years) free of AF at baseline participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study in the United States, were studied. Incident AF cases through 2009 were ascertained from electrocardiograms, hospital discharge codes, and death certificates. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for AF associated with serum and dietary Mg quintiles. Over a median follow-up time of 20.6 years, 1,755 incident AF cases were identified. In multivariate models, lower serum Mg was associated with higher AF risk: compared to individuals in the middle quintile (≥ 0.80-0.83 mmol/L), the HR (95% CI) of AF in quintiles 1, 2, 4, and 5 were 1.34 (1.16-1.54), 0.99 (0.85-1.16), 1.04 (0.90-1.22), and 1.06 (0.91-1.23), respectively. There was no evidence of significant interactions between serum Mg and sex or race. No association between dietary Mg and AF risk was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Lower serum Mg was associated with a higher AF risk, and this association was not different between whites and African Americans. Dietary Mg was not associated with AF risk.
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Misialek et al. (2013) conducted a cohort in Atrial Fibrillation (n=14,290). Low serum magnesium (<0.78 mmol/L) vs. Middle quintile of serum magnesium (≥0.80-0.83 mmol/L) was evaluated on Incident atrial fibrillation (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.16-1.54). Lower serum magnesium (<0.78 mmol/L) was associated with a higher risk of incident atrial fibrillation (HR 1.34) compared to individuals with average levels, whereas dietary magnesium showed no association.
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