The Association Between Dietary Magnesium Intake and Pulmonary Function: Recent Fndings from NHANES 2007–2012

Abstract

This article aims to study the correlation between dietary magnesium intake and pulmonary function, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. This cross-sectional study examined representative samples of adults from the USA (n = 818; NHANES 2007–2012) to explore the correlation between magnesium intake and pulmonary function. We obtained the average magnesium intake over 2 days, as well as measured pulmonary function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), and forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75%). Weighted multivariable linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between magnesium intake and pulmonary function. Additionally, subgroup analyses, interaction tests, and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Weighted multiple linear regression models revealed a significant positive correlation between magnesium and pulmonary function, even after adjusting for all included confounding variables. When we categorized magnesium intake into tertiles, we found that participants in the highest tertile of magnesium intake had significantly higher values for FVC (β: 898.54, 95%CI: 211.82–1585.25), FEV1 (β: 858.16, 95%CI: 212.41–1503.91), FEV1/FVC (β: 0.024, 95%CI: 0.004–0.044), PEF (β: 1324.52, 95%CI: 481.71–2167.33), and FEF25-75% (β: 831.39, 95%CI: 84.93–1577.84). Upon stratifying the data by age and sex, it was observed that this positive correlation was particularly pronounced among men aged 40–79. At the same time, the stability of the results was further confirmed by sensitivity analyses. This study suggested that dietary magnesium intake may improve pulmonary function.