The current dose-response meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the evidence regarding the association between magnesium intake and stroke risk since prospective studies have yielded inconsistent results. Relevant prospective studies that reported RRs with 95% CIs of stroke for ≥3 categories of magnesium intake were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE from 1966 through 2011 and by reviewing reference lists of retrieved articles. Results from individual studies were combined using a random-effects model. Seven prospective studies with 6,477 cases of stroke and 241,378 participants were eligible for inclusion. A modest but statistically significant inverse association was observed between magnesium intake and risk of stroke. An intake increment of 100 mg Mg/d was associated with an 8% reduction in risk of total stroke (combined RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.88-0.97), without heterogeneity among studies (P = 0.66; I2 = 0%). In addition, magnesium intake was inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.87-0.96) but not intracerebral hemorrhage (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.84-1.10) or subarachnoid hemorrhage (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.90-1.14). The authors concluded that dietary magnesium intake is inversely associated with risk of stroke, specifically ischemic stroke. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Dec 28. PMID: 22205313
