Relationship between Magnesium Intake and Peripheral Neuropathy in US Adults: 1999–2004 Nationala Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background/Objectives: Previous studies have reported that low magnesium (Mg) intake is associated with a high incidence of peripheral neuropathy (PN). We aimed to examine the relationship between Mg intake and PN in a large, representative cohort of US adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: This study used cross-sectional data of 7,997 participants of the NHANES between 1999 and 2004, excluding those younger than 40 years, to collect detailed information on PN, dietary Mg intake, and other important variables. Of the 7,997 participants, 1,678 (21%) had PN and 6,319 (79.0%) did not have PN. The participants were categorized according to their Mg intake: Q1, ≤2.2 mg/kg; Q2, 2.4–4.3 mg/kg; Q3, 3.4–4.3 mg/kg; Q4, ≥4.4 mg/kg. Results: Regarding the association between dietary Mg intake and PN, the corrected odds ratios were 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67–0.93; p = 0.006), 0.68 (95% CI,0.56–0.81; p < 0.001), and 0.6 (95% CI, 0.49–0.75;p < 0.001) for the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively, when compared with the Q1 group. The association between dietary Mg intake and PN showed a linear curve (p = 0.148). Conclusion: Increased dietary Mg intake may reduce the incidence of PN; however, no upper limit for Mg intake has been identified.