Serum Magnesium Levels Linked to Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Study

The findings, published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, suggest that prioritizing glycemic control over weight loss is crucial for reducing the incidence of hypomagnesemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in numerous physiological processes, including glucose metabolism and insulin function. Deficiencies in magnesium have been linked to insulin resistance and poor glycemic control, which are key challenges in managing type 2 diabetes. Therefore, diabetic patients need to ensure their serum magnesium levels remain optimal.

Against the above background, Beibei Luo, Clinical Laboratory, People’s Hospital of Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China, and colleagues focused on the relationship between glycemic control and serum magnesium in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study involved 1,694 patients from the People’s Hospital of Yuxi. Fasting blood samples were collected, and demographic characteristics of the participants were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups based on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (<7% or ≥7%). A t-test was used to determine significant differences between the groups. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated, while logistic regression analyzed the association between various factors and glycemic control. Additionally, linear regression assessed the relationship between serum magnesium levels and HbA1c.

The study led to the following findings:

• Patients with poor glycemic control exhibited elevated age, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) compared to those with good glycemic control.
• Total cholesterol (TC) levels were significantly higher in patients with poor glycemic control.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and serum magnesium levels were lower in patients with poor glycemic control. Serum magnesium levels exhibited negative correlations with HOMA-IR (r = -0.05), HbA1c (r = -0.29), and FPG (r = -0.20).
• Serum magnesium was significantly associated with reduced odds of glycemic control (OR = 0.0005).

"In patients with type 2 diabetes, serum magnesium levels are closely linked to glycemic control. Emphasizing glycemic control over weight loss is crucial for decreasing the risk of hypomagnesemia," the researchers wrote.

The study limitations include not assessing daily magnesium intake due to its retrospective design, incomplete case information, and imbalance between groups with good and poor glycemic control. The study did not analyze serum magnesium’s relationship with insulin resistance. Future research will address these gaps and include more comprehensive data.

Reference:

Luo, Beibei, et al. "Association Between Serum Magnesium Levels and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes." Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity : Targets and Therapy, vol. 17, 2024, pp. 2823-2829.