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The effect of lowering blood pressure by magnesium supplementation in diabetic hypertensive adults with low serum magnesium levels: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 23, pages 245–251 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

To test the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of oral magnesium supplementation (that is, magnesium chloride (MgCl2) solution) in diabetic hypertensive adults with hypomagnesaemia not on diuretic treatment but receiving concurrent captopril, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eighty-two subjects between 40 and 75 years of age were randomly enrolled. Over 4 months, subjects in the intervention group received 2.5 g of MgCl2 (50 ml of a solution containing 50 g of MgCl2 per 1000 ml of solution) equivalent to 450 mg of elemental magnesium, and control subjects inert placebo. The primary trial end point was a reduction in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. Complete follow-up was achieved for 79 of the 82 randomized subjects. SBP (−20.4±15.9 versus −4.7 ± 12.7 mm Hg, P=0.03) and DBP (−8.7±16.3 versus −1.2±12.6 mm Hg, P=0.02) showed significant decreases, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (0.1±0.6 versus −0.1±0.7 mmol l−1, P=0.04) a significant increase in the magnesium group compared to the placebo group. The adjusted odds ratio between serum magnesium and BP was 2.8 (95%CI: 1.4–6.9). Oral magnesium supplementation with MgCl2 significantly reduces SBP and DBP in diabetic hypertensive adults with hypomagnesaemia.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the commitment and dedication of the physicians, chemists and participant personnel of the Biomedical Research Unit of the Mexican Security Institute at Durango in charge of the patient enrolment and follow-up. This study was supported by grants from the Fundación IMSS, AC from Mexico.

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  1. Biomedical Research Unit of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Research Group on Diabetes and Chronic Illnesses, and Nucleus of Research and Clinical Diagnosis (NIDIAC), Durango, Mexico

    F Guerrero-Romero & M Rodríguez-Morán

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  1. F Guerrero-Romero
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Correspondence to M Rodríguez-Morán.

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Guerrero-Romero, F., Rodríguez-Morán, M. The effect of lowering blood pressure by magnesium supplementation in diabetic hypertensive adults with low serum magnesium levels: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Hum Hypertens 23, 245–251 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2008.129

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