Magnesium supplement lowers BP among hypertensive adults: Study

As per results of a meta-analysis, magnesium supplementation results into decrease in blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive grownups. Yiqing Song, MD, ScD, of the Indiana University School of Public Health in Indianapolis, and colleagues mentioned in meta-analysis of 34 separate trials, appeared online in Hypertension, that intake of 368-mg magnesium every day for three months caused 2.00 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure and 1.78 mm Hg reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers said that their findings have indicated a causal effect of magnesium supplementation on decreasing blood pressures in grownups. They concluded, “Our findings suggested that oral magnesium supplements can be recommended for the prevention of hypertension or as adjuvant antihypertensive therapy, although future rigorously designed randomized controlled trials with blood pressure assessment as primary outcomes are warranted to yield confirmatory evidence”.

However, the findings failed to fully convince Nieca Goldberg, MD, of the New York University Langone Medical Center.

While speaking to MedPage Today, she said that though the researchers have demonstrated in the study that magnesium is useful in terms of regulating blood pressure, supplementation isn’t generally recommended.

After saying this, Goldberg added that the study is interesting because of the DASH diet, often prescribed to people who have high blood pressure, including foods rich in magnesium.