2023, Vol. 5, Issue 8, Part A

Background: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose, which leads over time to serious damage to organs. Magnesium (Mg) is the second most plentiful intracellular cation after potassium. It’s show a role in glucose transport through cell membrane.

Aims: The study was scheduled to measure the effect of serum magnesium level in type 2 diabetic patients and to compare it with that of healthy subjects and to match the obtained serum magnesium levels with glycemic control of the patients assessed by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) value, obesity, and presence of diabetic complication.

Patients and Methods: The study was case control, it carried out at Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad and at Diabetes Center of Marjan Teaching Hospital in Al-Hilla City during the period from July 2020 to October 2020. It included 100 subjects 50 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 50 apparently healthy subjects served as control group. Results: The results showed that Mean±SD value of serum magnesium of T2DM patients was significantly lower than that of controls group (p≤0.0001). The mean value of serum magnesium was significantly decreased in obese diabetic patients when compared with overweight and normal weight patients (p≤0.0001). The mean value of serum magnesium was also significantly lower in diabetic patients who had HbA1c > 8.5% in comparison with those had HbA1c 7- < 8.5% (p≤0.031) and < 7% (p≤0.0001).

Conclusion: Type 2 diabetic patients suffered significantly from magnesium deficiency that is significantly associated with poor diabetic control and obesity.