Oral magnesium supplementation improves vascular function in elderly diabetic patients.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled clinical trial without reported randomization or placebo control
PubMed 20736142 · doi:10.1684/mrh.2010.0214
What was done
Sixty elderly (≥ 65 years) diabetic and hypertensive patients (mean age 71.1 ± 6.1 years; 35 men, 25 women) were allocated to either oral magnesium supplementation (4.5 g/day magnesium pidolate, providing 368 mg/day magnesium ion; n = 30) or standard care control (n = 30) for one month. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation and serum ionized magnesium levels were measured before and after the one-month study period while maintaining usual diabetes and hypertension management.
What was found
In the magnesium group, ionized magnesium increased from 0.42 ± 0.05 mmol/L to 0.49 ± 0.06 mmol/L (p < 0.05), and post-ischemic flow-mediated dilation increased from 3.3 ± 3.6% to 8.4 ± 3.9% (p < 0.05). In the control group, no significant changes were observed in ionized magnesium or flow-mediated dilation.
Why it matters
Endothelial dysfunction is common in elderly diabetic patients, and this study suggests that correcting or supplementing magnesium can improve vascular reactivity over a short timeframe.
Limits
The study was small (n = 60), conducted over only one month, and the abstract does not report randomization, blinding, or a placebo control. Hard clinical endpoints were not measured.
Cited by
- supports Magnesium functions as a vasodilator to increase blood flow.