ArticleBMJ open2013
Modifying effect of calcium/magnesium intake ratio and mortality: a population-based cohort study.
Article in BMJ open, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 62 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 131 citations in OpenAlex.
- Total, Dietary, and Supplemental Magnesium Intakes and Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2021Pooled it
- Calcium intake, calcium supplementation and cardiovascular disease and mortality in the British population: EPIC-norfolk prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.European journal of epidemiology · 2021Pooled it
- Dietary magnesium intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC medicine · 2016Pooled it
- Dietary calcium intake and mortality risk from cardiovascular disease and all causes: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC medicine · 2014Pooled it
- The Association of Gut Microbiota With TRPM7 Genotype, Colorectal Polyps, and Magnesium.The Journal of nutrition · 2025Trial
- Ca:Mg ratio, medium-chain fatty acids, and the gut microbiome.Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2022Trial
- Magnesium treatment on methylation changes of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2).Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) · 2021Trial
- Magnesium Depletion Score (MDS) Predicts Risk of Systemic Inflammation and Cardiovascular Mortality among US Adults.The Journal of nutrition · 2021Trial
- Ca:Mg Ratio, APOE Cytosine Modifications, and Cognitive Function: Results from a Randomized Trial.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2020Trial
- Calcium: magnesium intake ratio and colorectal carcinogenesis, results from the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial.British journal of cancer · 2019Trial
- The Effects of Oral Magnesium Supplementation on Glycemic Response among Type 2 Diabetes Patients.Nutrients · 2018Trial
- Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2018Trial
- Dietary Calcium to Magnesium Ratio and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases.Biological trace element research · 2025Article
- Sex-specific differences in the association of magnesium intake with femoral neck bone mineral density among older adults.Endocrine connections · 2025Article
- Enhancing Nutrient Profile and Reducing Acrylamide in California-Style Table Olives withFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Minerals and Human Health: From Deficiency to Toxicity.Nutrients · 2025Review
- The Mechanisms of Magnesium in Sleep Disorders.Nature and science of sleep · 2025Review
- Associations of calcium and magnesium intakes and their intake ratio with albuminuria in middle-aged and older adults.PloS one · 2025Article
- Total, dietary, and supplemental calcium intake and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among U.S. adults: a prospective cohort study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Archives of osteoporosis · 2024Article
- Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedCorrection.2013
Authors and funding
12 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesMagnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) antagonise each other in (re)absorption, inflammation and many other physiological activities. Based on mathematical estimation, the absorbed number of Ca or Mg depends on the dietary ratio of Ca to Mg intake. We hypothesise that the dietary Ca/Mg ratio modifies the effects of Ca and Mg on mortality due to gastrointestinal tract cancer and, perhaps, mortality due to diseases occurring in other organs or systems.
designProspective studies.
settingPopulation-based cohort studies (The Shanghai Women's Health Study and the Shanghai Men's Health Study) conducted in Shanghai, China.
participants74 942 Chinese women aged 40-70 years and 61 500 Chinese men aged 40-74 years participated in the study. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality and disease-specific mortality.
resultsIn this Chinese population with a low Ca/Mg intake ratio (a median of 1.7 vs around 3.0 in US populations), intakes of Mg greater than US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) levels (320 mg/day among women and 420 mg/day among men) were related to increased risks of total mortality for both women and men. Consistent with our hypothesis, the Ca/Mg intake ratio significantly modified the associations of intakes of Ca and Mg with mortality risk, whereas no significant interactions between Ca and Mg in relation to outcome were found. The associations differed by gender. Among men with a Ca/Mg ratio >1.7, increased intakes of Ca and Mg were associated with reduced risks of total mortality, and mortality due to coronary heart diseases. In the same group, intake of Ca was associated with a reduced risk of mortality due to cancer. Among women with a Ca/Mg ratio ≤1.7, intake of Mg was associated with increased risks of total mortality, and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases and colorectal cancer.
conclusionsThese results, if confirmed, may help to understand the optimal balance between Ca and Mg in the aetiology and prevention of these common diseases and reduction in mortality.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.