Is Circulating Serum Magnesium Associated With a Risk of VTE in White Men?

A study assessed the association between serum magnesium, trace element involved in processes that regulate cardiovascular function, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been previously investigated. We aimed to assess the prospective association of serum magnesium with the risk of VTE.

“In this study, researchers measured serum magnesium using atomic absorption spectrometry in 2,361 men (aged 42-61) with no history of VTE at baseline. They used Cox regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for VTE,” the researchers wrote.

According to the results, the researchers recorded 159 incident VTE events over an approximately 27 year follow-up. The results demonstrated that the risk of VTE per 1 SD increase in serum magnesium in the age-adjusted analysis was (HR=1.30; 95% CI 0.46-3.69). The observed association remained consistent in analyses adjusted for systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, smoking status, a history of type 2 diabetes, a history of coronary heart disease, medication for dyslipidemia, alcohol consumption, physical activity, socioeconomic status, serum active calcium, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and a history of cancer (HR 1.38; 95% CI 0.48-3.96), the researchers noted.

The strengths of this study, according to the investigators, include the novelty, the use of a large-scale population-based prospective cohort design with a selection of men who were nationally representative, zero loss to follow-up, and a comprehensive analysis utilizing a broad panel of established and emerging risk factors. The limitations, as they noted, are inability to generalize the results to women, other age groups, and other populations, the relatively low VTE event rate, and the lack of data on VTE subtypes.

“In a middle-aged Caucasian male population, serum-circulating magnesium was not associated with a future risk of VTE,” the researchers concluded. “Further studies in women, other age groups, and other populations are required to generalize these findings.”