Abstract
Purpose
Human data are limited linking magnesium (Mg) intake to the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to examine the association between Mg intake and the risk of NAFLD among young adults in the US with a 25-year follow-up.
Methods
This study included 2685 participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adult (CARDIA) study. Diet and dietary supplements were assessed at baseline (1985–1986) and exam years 7 and 20 using an interview-based dietary history. NAFLD, defined as liver attenuation ≤ 51 Hounsfield Units excluding secondary causes of liver fat accumulation, was identified by non-contrast-computed tomography scanning at exam year 25. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model was used to examine the associations between cumulative average total intake of Mg (dietary plus supplemental) and NAFLD odds.
Results
A total of 629 NAFLD cases were documented. After adjustment for potential confounders, an inverse association between total Mg intake and NAFLD odds was observed. Compared to participants in the lowest quintile of total Mg intake, the odds of NAFLD was 55% lower among individuals in the highest quintile [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.23, 0.85), p for trend = 0.03]. Consistently, whole-grain consumption, a major dietary source of Mg, was inversely associated with NAFLD odds (p for trend = 0.02).
Conclusions
This study suggests that higher cumulative intake of Mg throughout adulthood is associated with lower odds of NAFLD in midlife. Future studies are needed to establish a possible causal relationship.
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Data and material described in the manuscript will be made available upon request pending.
Code availability
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank all the investigators and the staff working for the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study for their technical and practical support. We also gratefully acknowledge all the participants in CARDIA study for their valuable contribution.
Funding
The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study is supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (HHSN268201800005I and HHSN268201800007I), Northwestern University (HHSN268201800003I), University of Minnesota (HHSN268201800006I), and Kaiser Foundation Research Institute (HHSN26820100004I). Representatives of the funding agency have been involved in the review of the manuscript but not directly involved in the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data. This study was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants (R01HL081572 and R01DK116603).
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All authors have contributed significantly to the submitted article. KK contributed to the conceptualization and study design. LL and CC contributed to data interpretation, methodology, and statistical analysis. LL wrote the original draft. KK, LL, CC, YL, WG, SZ, JB and JMS contributed to the review and critical revision of the manuscript. KK had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and gave the final approval.
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All participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study provided written informed consent at each exam, with all procedures approved annually by institutional review boards at each field center and coordinating center. The ethical approval number for this study is 1907082670.
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Lu, L., Chen, C., Li, Y. et al. Magnesium intake is inversely associated with risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among American adults. Eur J Nutr 61, 1245–1254 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02732-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02732-8