Table 2 Baseline participants’characteristics across quartiles of energy-adjusted daily calcium to magnesium ratio intake

Age (years)

45.1 ± 13.7

41.9 ± 14.3

43.5 ± 14.1

43.3 ± 14.3

0.16

Male (%)

42.4

45

46.8

38

0.21

Body mass index (kg/m²)

28.7 ± 5.2

27.8 ± 5.3

28.4 ± 5.8

29.1 ± 6.7

0.006

Fasting blood glucose (mg/dl)

94.4 ± 34.6

92.9 ± 34.1

89.8 ± 30

92.3 ± 27.1

0.44

Triglycerides (mg/dl)

139 ± 92.1

140 ± 109.6

133 ± 71.9

131 ± 67.9

0.69

Total cholesterol (mg/dl)

179 ± 36.3

178 ± 44.4

175 ± 33.9

183 ± 37.1

0.33

High Density Lipoprotein–Cholesterol

(mg/dl)

46.7 ± 10.2

46.4 ± 11.2

47.2 ± 10.3

49.1 ± 11.8

0.44

Low Density Lipoprotein–Cholesterol

(mg/dl)

104 ± 30.7

103 ± 35.6

101 ± 29.6

107 ± 29.5

0.033

Physical activity (MET(hour/week))

32.1 ± 4.4

34.9 ± 3.3

31 ± 3.9

33.8 ± 2.1

0.22

Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)

22.9 ± 23.1

23.7 ± 28.6

24.2 ± 14.1

23.4 ± 19.1

0.08

Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L)

23.1 ± 10.3

23.6 ± 13.6

23.5 ± 9.2

22.1 ± 8.9

0.95

Current alcohol usage (%)

9.6

10.4

9.2

10

0.97

Current smoking (%)

25.6

32.1

28.8

44.2

< 0.001

Diabetes (%)

10.8

7.6

7.6

8.9

0.53

Energy (Kcal/d)

2712 ± 857

2846 ± 815

2876 ± 930

2758 ± 769

0.024

Protein (% of energy)

14.8 ± 1.5

14.4 ± 3.3

15.1 ± 1.7

14.9 ± 6.3

0.16

Carbohydrate (% of energy)

58.6 ± 12.3

56.8 ± 10.9

54.9 ± 8.2

59.1 ± 8.7

0.025

Fat (% of energy)

29.4 ± 1.3

32.5 ± 2.1

30.9 ± 7.6

29.1 ± 4.2

0.042

Total dietary fiber (g/d)

43.6 ± 16

45.4 ± 17.6

50.1 ± 36.8

50.1 ± 21.1

0.001

Magnesium (mg/d)

521 ± 178

508 ± 154

491 ± 167

434 ± 130

< 0.001

Calcium (mg/d)

879 ± 315

1106 ± 340

1249 ± 419

1404 ± 412

< 0.001

Calcium to Magnesium ratio

1.69 ± 0.20

2.17 ± 0.11

2.54 ± 0.12

3.25 ± 0.38

< 0.001