Dietary Calcium to Magnesium Ratio and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Dietary factors are critical risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Among various aspects of dietary intake, the dietary calcium-to-magnesium (Ca: Mg) ratio has been less studied. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of the dietary Ca: Mg ratio with 10-year cardiovascular risk among participants of the health cohort of medical staff in Shiraz, Iran. This cross-sectional study utilized baseline data from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Employees' Health Cohort Study (SUMS EHCS). Demographic, anthropometric, and laboratory data were collected. A 113-item food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake. The 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) was estimated using the Framingham Risk Score. Linear regression modeling examined the association between the dietary Ca: Mg ratio and 10-year coronary risk. Of the SUMS EHCS participants, 3,382 subjects (1,515 males and 1,867 females) with a median (IQR) age of 41.00 (10.00) years were eligible for the study. In both univariate and adjusted models, a 1-unit increase in the Ca: Mg ratio was associated with higher levels of 10-year coronary risk: B = 0.097 (95% CI: 0.044, 0.150) in the univariate model and B = 0.091 (95% CI: 0.038, 0.143) in the adjusted model. The findings indicated that a higher dietary Ca: Mg ratio was associated with a higher 10-year risk of CVD.