Association of dietary calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium intake and hypertension: a study on an 8-year dietary intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There has been an increased interest in determining calcium magnesium, sodium, and potassium's distinct effects on hypertension over the past decade, yet they simultaneously regulate blood pressure. We aimed at examining the association of dietary calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium independently and jointly with hypertension using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2014. MATERIALS/METHODS: The associations were examined on a large cross-sectional study involving 16684 US adults aged>20 years, using multivariate analyses with logistical models. RESULTS: Sodium and calcium quartiles assessed alone were not associated with hypertension. Potassium was negatively associated with hypertension in the highest quartile, 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–0.87). When jointly assessed using the high and low cut-off points, low sodium and corresponding high calcium, magnesium, and potassium intake somewhat reduced the odds of hypertension 0.39 (95% CI, 0.20–0.76). The sodium-to-potassium ratio was positively associated with hypertension in the highest quartile1.50 (95% CI, 1.11–2.02). When potassium was adjusted for sodium intake and sodium-to-potassium ratio assessed among women, increased odds of hypertension were reported in the highest quartile as 2.02 (95% CI, 1.18–3.34) and 1.69 (95% CI, 1.12–2.57), respectively. The association of combined minerals on hypertension using dietary goals established that men meeting the reference intakes for calcium and exceeding for magnesium had reduced odds of hypertension 0.51 (95% CI, 0.30–0.89). Women exceeding the recommendations for both calcium and magnesium had the lower reduced odds of 0.30 (95% CI, 0.10–0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the studied minerals' association on hypertension is stronger when jointly assessed, mostly after gender stratification. As compared to men, women increased their risk of hypertension even with a low sodium intake. Women would also reasonably reduce their risk of developing hypertension by increasing calcium and magnesium intake. In comparison, men would somewhat be protected from developing hypertension with calcium intake meeting the dietary goals and magnesium exceeding the nutritional goals.