Serum magnesium and calcium levels in relation to ischemic stroke: Mendelian randomization study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine whether serum magnesium and calcium concentrations are causally associated with ischemic stroke or any of its subtypes using the mendelian randomization approach.

METHODS:

Analyses were conducted using summary statistics data for 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with serum magnesium (n = 6) or serum calcium (n = 7) concentrations. The corresponding data for ischemic stroke were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium (34,217 cases and 404,630 noncases).

RESULTS:

In standard mendelian randomization analysis, the odds ratios for each 0.1 mmol/L (about 1 SD) increase in genetically predicted serum magnesium concentrations were 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.89; p = 1.3 × 10-4) for all ischemic stroke, 0.63 (95% CI 0.50-0.80; p = 1.6 × 10-4) for cardioembolic stroke, and 0.60 (95% CI 0.44-0.82; p = 0.001) for large artery stroke; there was no association with small vessel stroke (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.67-1.20; p = 0.46). Only the association with cardioembolic stroke was robust in sensitivity analyses. There was no association of genetically predicted serum calcium concentrations with all ischemic stroke (per 0.5 mg/dL [about 1 SD] increase in serum calcium: odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.88-1.21) or with any subtype.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study found that genetically higher serum magnesium concentrations are associated with a reduced risk of cardioembolic stroke but found no significant association of genetically higher serum calcium concentrations with any ischemic stroke subtype.

• Authors: Susanna C Larsson, Matthew Traylor, Stephen Burgess, Giorgio B Boncoraglio, Christina Jern, Karl Michaëlsson, Hugh S Markus, MEGASTROKE project of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium
• Journal: Neurology (Neurology) Vol. 92 Issue 9 Pg. e944-e950 (02 26 2019) ISSN: 1526-632X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30804065 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Chemical References

• Magnesium
• Calcium

Topics

• Brain Ischemia (blood, genetics)
• Calcium (blood)
• Humans
• Intracranial Embolism (blood, genetics)
• Magnesium (blood)
• Mendelian Randomization Analysis
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
• Stroke (blood, genetics)