The impact of increased calcium and magnesium content in drinking water on arterial stiffness and the cardiovascular system in humans: A case study in Kokava nad Rimavicou, Slovak Republic

In the village of Kokava nad Rimavicou, we enriched the drinking water with Ca and Mg using a recarbonatization reactor (RR). In the RR, carbonate rock is dissolved using CO2. In the RR, we produce a concentrate with a Ca and Mg content of approximately 100 mg.l–1, which is then added directly to the water reservoir at a ratio of approximately 1 : 10. On average, the Ca and Mg content in the drinking water increased by 10–15 mg.l–1. Subsequently, we monitored the positive effect of the increased Ca and Mg content in the drinking water by measuring the arterial stiffness of the residents, which characterizes the state of the cardiovascular system (CVS) of people. We measured the arterial stiffness four times in six-month intervals. The first time was before the start of the enrichment of the drinking water with Ca and Mg, and subsequently three times after the enrichment. The increased content of Ca and Mg in the drinking water resulted in a significant improvement in the arterial stiffness. The arterial age of the people improved by approximately ten years, and the speed of the pulse wave velocity decreased by 0.9 m.s–1.