Practice Question

Water that has large amounts of dissolved calcium and magnesium is referred to as hard water. Calcium and magnesium naturally occur in Earth materials such as limestone, magnesite, gypsum, and other minerals groundwater comes into contact with. Calcium is a vital component of bones and teeth. Calcium is also necessary for proper muscle action, blood clotting, and regulating the heartbeat. Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 biochemical processes in the body, such as regulating heartbeat and blood sugar levels, helping maintain normal blood pressure, and facilitating protein synthesis. The health benefits of drinking hard water have been well documented since the 1920s. One study investigated the effects of different amounts of dietary magnesium on rat survival rates. The first table shows the summary data from this study. Softening water has become a common practice in many homes. Soft water is water that has had the calcium and magnesium ions and other minerals removed to prevent the buildup of a residue called scale in pipes and appliances. Soft water also increases the effectiveness of soaps and detergents. Research around the health benefits of drinking hard water suggests that people may be at higher risk for certain diseases when their water lacks dissolved calcium and magnesium. The second table summarizes data from two human population studies that examined the role of dietary magnesium and cardiovascular health.
The following steps describe the procedure used by the researchers who conducted human study 1.
1. Randomly assign equal numbers of participants to group A and group B.
2. ?
3. Monitor magnesium levels in each participant at regular intervals for 10 years.
4. Track all cardiovascular complications in all participants for the duration of the study.
5. Compare the rates of cardiovascular complications in group A to those in