ABSTRACT
A cross-sectional study reported that hypomagnesemia was associated with the presence of metabolic abnormalities, supporting the possible role of magnesium in the pathways leading to the development of dyslipidemia. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was 49.7%, 44.2%, and 28.6% among US adults with obesity, overweight, and normal weight, respectively. This pattern of dyslipidemia is consistent worldwide. Magnesium, the most abundant intracellular divalent cation and the second-most abundant intracellular cation, is an essential co-factor in the enzymatic process of high-energy phosphate production, the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, cytoskeletal function, cell cycle progression, the maintenance of membrane integrity and stability, ion homeostasis, and glucose-related metabolic pathways. In female rat models with dyslipidemia associated with the use of oral contraceptives, rats who received a high magnesium intake had higher plasma high-density lipoprotein-c levels, suggesting that dyslipidemia associated with oral contraceptive use may be prevented by supplementary dietary magnesium intake.
