Serum magnesium status and its correlation with insulin resistance in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Hypomagnesaemia has been reported in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and an association of low serum magnesium (Mg) with insulin resistance has been observed. In this cross-sectional study, 65 new T2DM patients and 65 healthy controls were investigated to assess the Mg status and see the association between Mg level and insulin resistance. Oral glucose tolerance test, HbA1c, serum Mg, and fasting insulin were measured and the level of insulin resistance was calculated by using the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Serum Mg level was similar in T2DM and control groups; a higher frequency of hypomagnesemia was observed in the T2DM than control group (26.2% vs. 12.3%) though it was not statistically significant (p= 0.074). Level of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was higher in the T2DM group and a higher frequency of subjects had insulin resistance in this group compared to controls. No significant differences in age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, fasting insulin level and HOMA-IR were observed between normomagnesaemic and hypomagnesaemic T2DM subjects. In the T2DM group, age, BMI, WC, WHR, FPG, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR correlated with serum Mg level though in the control group Mg had significant inverse correlations with BMI and fasting insulin. New T2DM subjects and healthy controls had similar Mg status although the frequency of hypomagnesemia was higher (not significant) in the T2DM group and serum Mg level had no correlation with glycemic status, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR in T2DM patients.

Keywords

• type 2 diabetes, magnesium, insulin resistance, homa-ir