Abstract
BACKGROUND: Some evidence suggests magnesium might reduce serum levels of lipid profile. Due to the significance of this matter on hand, we centralized our aim to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to interrogate the effect of magnesium supplementation on serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the general population aged ≥ 18 years. METHODS: In line with conducting this study first, relevant articles were found through searching databases, including five databases: Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed until January 2024. Following fulfilling the first aim, their mean differences and standard deviations were calculated to conduct the meta-analysis. Ultimately, an assessment of the statistical heterogeneity of intervention effects was performed using I-squared statistics and Cochran's Q test. RESULTS: Regarding serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C, twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty, and twenty-five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimates showed no significant differences in serum levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C between the magnesium group and comparison group (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.34 mg/dl, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.75 to 2.43, P = 0.749, I(2) = 99.1%; WMD=-2.06 mg/dl, 95% CI: -6.35 to 2.23, P = 0.346, I(2) = 99.1; WMD = 1.71 mg/dl, 95% CI: -0.81 to 4.24, P = 0.183, I(2) = 99.4, respectively). However, magnesium significantly increased HDL-C (WMD = 1.21 mg/dl, 95% CI: 0.58 to 1.85, P < 0.001, I(2) = 99.5). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study showed that magnesium significantly increased HDL-C levels. However, due to high heterogeneity, we must note that more research is needed to make robust recommendations regarding magnesium supplementation in clinical practice. REGISTRY NUMBER: This study was registered in PROSPERO under the protocol number CRD42024505142.