Background: Dietary micronutrients are significantly associated with telomere length, as shown in multiple studies. However, no study has investigated the association between magnesium intake and telomere length in adults with hypertension.
Methods: Participants were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 1999-2000 and 2001-2002. Dietary magnesium intake was assessed using the 24 - hour recall method and the telomere length of leukocytes was measured using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A multivariate regression model was then used to assess the association between dietary magnesium intake and telomere length in adults with hypertension.
Results: Our final analysis included 2199 hypertensive adults (46.79% males) with a mean dietary magnesium intake of 254.82±133.47 mg/day. Linear regression, adjusted for race, sex, age, smoking, uric acid, and other variables, showed that every 1 mg increase in dietary magnesium intake was associated with a 0.20 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.39, p = 0.043) longer telomere length in all participants. In the ≥45 years age group, there was a statistically significant association between the telomere length and dietary magnesium (95% CI: 0.16, 0.63, p <0.001).
Conclusions: This study suggests that increased magnesium intake is associated with a longer telomere length in hypertensive adults, especially in those ≥45 years of age. However, further research is needed to determine a causal relationship.
Keywords: NHANES; Telomere length; dietary magnesium; hypertension.