ORIGINAL ARTICLE Magnesium intake and serum C-reactive protein levels in children

Abstract. The objective of this study was to determine whether magnesium consumption is associated with inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) in chil-dren. The study was an analysis of child (age 6-17 years) participants in the cross-sectional, nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Children consuming less than 75 % of RDA were 1.94 times more likely (p < 0.05) to have elevated serum CRP levels than children consuming above the RDA. In adjusted analyses controlling for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and BMI, children with consumption of less than 75 % RDA were 58 % more likely to have elevated CRP (OR 1.58, 95 % CI 1.07-∞). Children with intakes below the RDA are more likely to have elevated CRP levels. Key words: dietary magnesium, CRP, children, inflammation, cardiovascular Recent evidence strongly supports a significant role for inflammation in the development of cardiovascu-lar disease in adults. Higher levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) indicat