Study of serum magnesium level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and it’s correlation with glycosylated hemoglobin and diabetic complications

<jats:p>Background: Hypomagnesemia has been proposed as a novel factor implicated in the pathogenesis of poor glycemic control and diabetic complications. Aim of the present study is to study serum magnesium level in patients with type 2 DM and to find the correlation between serum magnesium levels, HbA1c and diabetic complications.Methods: 100 patients with Type 2 DM (50 males and 50 females) who were diagnosed on the basis of ADA criteria or taking treatment for Diabetes were included in the study. All patients underwent tests for serum magnesium level, fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, HbA1c and also target organ evaluation for Diabetes. A detailed history and examination was also done.Results: There was significant difference in the prevalence of hypomagnesemia (34% vs 6%) and serum magnesium levels (1.59±0.187 versus 1.78±0.126, p <0.0001) between diabetics and control group. FBS (172.17±30.55 versus 137.06±37.76, p<0.0001), PPBS (243±61.21 versus 195.84±59.1, p = 0.0003) and HbA1C (8.42±1.292 versus 7.04±0.956, p<0.0001) were significantly higher in hypomagnesemic diabetics as compared to normomagnesemic diabetics. Significant proportion of hypomagnesemic diabetics were suffering from retinopathy as compared to normomagnesemic diabetics (47.06% versus 19.70%, p = 0.0042). Diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, hypertension and IHD were also higher in hypomagnesemic diabetics as compared to normomagnesemic diabetics, but insignificant.Conclusions: Prevalence of hypomagnesemia in Type 2 diabetics was 34%. Diabetics with hypomagnesemia had poor glycemic control. Hypomagnesemia was significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy.  </jats:p>