Relationship between serum micronutrients and blood pressure in southwestern chinese men.

To study the relationship of serum calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) to systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, we conducted a cross-sectional study in community samples of a remote unacculturated population (521 Yi farmers) and 701 urban residents from southwestern China. Serum Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu were measured after a 14-hour fasting. Blood pressure and dietary nutrient intake were measured on three consecutive days. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to adjust for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption and sodium intake. The mean SBP was 103.5 and 113.6 and mean DBP was 64.3 and 71.6 mm Hg in farmers and urban residents, respectively. The mean level of serum micronutrients and their partial regression coefficients on BP were as follows: These data indicate that higher serum Ca and Zn are associated with higher SBP in both groups, while higher serum Mg is associated with lower SBP and DBP in farmers only. We conclude that serum Ca, Mg and Zn may play a role in the regulation of BP and the etiology of hypertension, even in unacculturated groups with low average BP.