Epidemiological and experimental studies have indicated a relationship among aging, dietary Mg, inflammatory stress, and
cardiovascular disease. Our aim in the present study was to investigate possible links between dietary Mg,
oxidant stress parameters, and inflammatory status with aging in rats. We designed a long-term study in which rats were fed for 22 months with moderately deficient (150 mg/kg), standard (800 mg/kg), or supplemented (3200 mg/kg) Mg diets. Comparisons were made with young rats fed with the same diets for 1 month. Compared to the standard and supplemented diets, the Mg-deficient diet significantly increased blood pressure, plasma
interleukin-6,
fibrinogen, and erythrocyte
lysophosphatidylcholine, particularly in aging rats, it decreased
plasma albumin. The impairment of redox status was indicated by increases in plasma
thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and
oxysterols and an increased blood susceptibility to in vitro
free-radical-induced
hemolysis. We concluded that Mg deficiency induced a chronic impairment of redox status associated with
inflammation which could significantly contribute to increased oxidized
lipids and promote
hypertension and vascular disorders with aging. Extrapolating to the human situation and given that Mg deficiency has been reported to be surprisingly common, particularly in the elderly, Mg supplementation might be useful as an adjuvant
therapy in preventing
cardiovascular disease.