The effects of oral magnesium supplements on vascular and endothelial function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
5 affiliations
- 1Food and Drug Research Center, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
- 2Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
- 3Cardiovascular Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
- 4Tehran Heart Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- 5Echocardiography Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Institute, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Magnesium has been suggested to play a role in cardiovascular health through its effects on endothelial function, vascular stiffness, and blood pressure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to update and evaluate the effect of magnesium supplementation on vascular function and cardiometabolic outcomes in adults.
Methods: A systematic search based on PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 23 April 2026 to include randomized placebo-controlled trials assessing the effects of magnesium supplementation on flow-mediated dilation (FMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and as secondary outcomes for serum magnesium levels and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Random-effect model, subgroup analyses (dose, duration, formulation), meta-regression, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessment were performed as well.
Results: A total of twelve randomized controlled trials comprising 389 patients in the magnesium group and 276 patients in the placebo group were included in this study. Magnesium supplementation showed no significant overall effect on FMD (MD = 2.86; 95% CI: − 1.31 to 7.03; p = 0.18). However, doses > 400 mg/day significantly improved FMD (MD = 8.32; 95% CI: 3.45 to 13.19; p < 0.01), but it included 2 studies. CIMT was significantly reduced (MD = − 0.08; 95% CI: − 0.15 to − 0.01; p = 0.03), while PWV showed no significant change (MD = − 0.17; 95% CI: − 0.60 to 0.25; p = 0.43). Serum magnesium increased significantly (MD = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.07; p < 0.01) in overall and in subgroups, whereas blood pressure reductions were not statistically significant (p > 0.3). Meta-regression showed significant modifying effects of higher magnesium doses and higher baseline SBP on FMD, and a significant inverse correlation of baseline body mass index (BMI), baseline PWV, and baseline CIMT on FMD.
Conclusion: Magnesium supplementation may improve endothelial function and reduce CIMT, particularly at higher doses, although it should be interpreted cautiously because of limited studies and inconsistent effects on arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Further large-scale trials are required to confirm optimal dosing strategies and clinical benefits.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3.
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BibTeX
@article{amiri2026effects,
title = {{The effects of oral magnesium supplements on vascular and endothelial function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials}},
author = {Aryana Amiri and Mohammad Sadra Gholami-Chahkand and Alireza Khodayari Javazm and Behrooz Jannat and Fateme Seighali and Niloofar Seighali},
journal = {BMC Cardiovascular Disorders},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effects of oral magnesium supplements on vascular and endothelial function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
AU - Aryana Amiri
AU - Mohammad Sadra Gholami-Chahkand
AU - Alireza Khodayari Javazm
AU - Behrooz Jannat
AU - Fateme Seighali
AU - Niloofar Seighali
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
JO - BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
DO - 10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3
AB - Background: Magnesium has been suggested to play a role in cardiovascular health through its effects on endothelial function, vascular stiffness, and blood pressure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to update and evaluate the effect of magnesium supplementation on vascular function and cardiometabolic outcomes in adults. Methods: A systematic search based on PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 23 April 2026 to include randomized placebo-controlled trials assessing the effects of magnesium supplementation on flow-mediated dilation (FMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and as secondary outcomes for serum magnesium levels and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Random-effect model, subgroup analyses (dose, duration, formulation), meta-regression, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessment were performed as well. Results: A total of twelve randomized controlled trials comprising 389 patients in the magnesium group and 276 patients in the placebo group were included in this study. Magnesium supplementation showed no significant overall effect on FMD (MD = 2.86; 95% CI: − 1.31 to 7.03; p = 0.18). However, doses > 400 mg/day significantly improved FMD (MD = 8.32; 95% CI: 3.45 to 13.19; p < 0.01), but it included 2 studies. CIMT was significantly reduced (MD = − 0.08; 95% CI: − 0.15 to − 0.01; p = 0.03), while PWV showed no significant change (MD = − 0.17; 95% CI: − 0.60 to 0.25; p = 0.43). Serum magnesium increased significantly (MD = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.07; p < 0.01) in overall and in subgroups, whereas blood pressure reductions were not statistically significant (p > 0.3). Meta-regression showed significant modifying effects of higher magnesium doses and higher baseline SBP on FMD, and a significant inverse correlation of baseline body mass index (BMI), baseline PWV, and baseline CIMT on FMD. Conclusion: Magnesium supplementation may improve endothelial function and reduce CIMT, particularly at higher doses, although it should be interpreted cautiously because of limited studies and inconsistent effects on arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Further large-scale trials are required to confirm optimal dosing strategies and clinical benefits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-026-06476-3.
SN - 1471-2261
ER -