Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34906160›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2021

Association between magnesium in drinking water and atrial fibrillation incidence: a nationwide population-based cohort study, 2002-2015.

Kirstine Wodschow, Cristina M Villanueva, Mogens Lytken Larsen, Gunnar Gislason, Jörg Schullehner, Birgitte Hansen, Annette Kjær Ersbøll

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Associations Between Domestic Water Hardness, Genetic Risk and Severe MASLD: A Large-Scale Cohort Study.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Domestic water hardness, genetic risk, and distinct phenotypes of cardiovascular disease.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2025
    Article
  5. Perspectives on environment and health research in Denmark.Scandinavian journal of public health · 2024
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Kirstine WodschowNational Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestræde 6, 1455, Copenhagen C, Denmark. ikwo@si-folkesundhed.dk.ORCID 0000-0001-9908-3632
Cristina M VillanuevaISGlobal, Campus Mar, Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
Mogens Lytken LarsenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
Gunnar GislasonDepartment of Cardiology, The Cardiovascular Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte, Gentofte Hospitalsvej 1, 2900, Hellerup, Denmark.
Jörg SchullehnerGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS Department of Groundwater and Quaternary Geology Mapping, C.F. Moellers Allé 8, Bygning 1110, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Birgitte HansenGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS Department of Groundwater and Quaternary Geology Mapping, C.F. Moellers Allé 8, Bygning 1110, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Annette Kjær ErsbøllNational Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestræde 6, 1455, Copenhagen C, Denmark.
University of Southern Denmark · DKAalborg University · DKAarhus University · DKGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland · DKUniversitat Pompeu Fabra · ESUniversity of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disorder and a risk factor of adverse cardiovascular diseases. Established causes do not fully explain the risk of AF and unexplained risk factors might be related to the environment, e.g. magnesium in drinking water. Low magnesium levels in drinking water might be associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases including AF. With detailed individual data from nationwide registries and long-term magnesium exposure time series, we had a unique opportunity to investigate the association between magnesium in drinking water and AF.

objectiveWe evaluated the association between magnesium concentration in drinking water and AF risk.

methodsA nationwide register-based cohort study (2002-2015) was used including individuals aged ≥30 years. Addresses were linked with water supply areas (n = 2418) to obtain time-varying drinking water magnesium exposure at each address. Five exposure groups were defined based on a 5-year rolling time-weighted average magnesium concentration. AF incidence rate ratios (IRRs) between exposure groups were calculated using a Poisson regression of incidence rates, adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic position. Robustness of results was investigated with different exposure definitions.

resultsThe study included 4,264,809 individuals (44,731,694 person-years) whereof 222,998 experienced an incident AF. Magnesium exposure ranged from 0.5 to 62.0 mg/L (mean = 13.9 mg/L). Estimated IRR (95% CI) compared to the referent exposure group (< 5 mg/L) was 0.98 (0.97-1.00) for the second lowest exposure group (5-10 mg/L), and 1.07 (1.05-1.08) for the two highest exposure groups (15-62 mg/L). Strongest positive associations were observed among those aged ≥80 years and with lowest education group. An inverse association was found among individuals with highest education group.

conclusionThere might be a small beneficial effect on AF of an increase in magnesium level in drinking water up to 10 mg/L, though an overall positive association was observed. The unexpected positive association and different associations observed for subgroups suggest a potential influence of unaccounted factors, particularly in vulnerable populations. Future research on magnesium in drinking water and cardiovascular diseases needs to focus on contextual risk factors, especially those potentially correlating with magnesium in drinking water.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationDrinking WaterCohort StudiesHumansIncidenceMagnesiumRisk FactorsDrinking WaterMagnesiumAtrial fibrillationCohortDrinking waterMagnesium levelRegisters

Identifiers

PMID34906160
PMCPMC8672465
OpenAlexW4200326468

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.