Magnesium and selenium in diabetics with peripheral artery disease of the lower limbs

Knowing that diabetes mellitus (DM) often leads to cardiovascular injury such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) of the lower limbs and that some microelements like magnesium (Mg) and Selenium (Se) might be involved in the alterations entailed by these complications, we aimed to investigate the behavior of those microelements in these diseases.

We studied 114 patients with type 2 DM, treated not with insulin but only by diet or oral antidiabetics, mean aged 56.6 having a mean duration of the diabetes of 14.5 years, mostly men (80), 64 of them (40 men) having also PAD stage 2 without severe complications. We had a control group of 40 similarly-aged subjects without DM or PAD. The measurements were performed on a Konelab 30I device and serum selenium was quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy. All patients underwent clinical, paraclinical and arterial Doppler echography for establishing the diagnosis of PAD.

The results for controls were 2.2±0.4 mg/dl for Mg, 130±6 μg/dl for Se; diabetics had 1.68±0.4 mg/dl Mg, 88±6 μg/dl Se; diabetics with PAD had significantly lower levels: 1.36±0.6 mg/dl Mg, 66±6 μg/dl Se (p<0.05). Age inversely correlated with the values of both microelements especially in women. Mixed dysipidemia, present in DM, correlated with PAD. Blood pressure also inversely correlated with Mg and Se. Coronary heart disease (ischemia) linked to lower blood values of Mg and Se. Left Ventricle Hypertrophy (as proved by echography) also correlated to lower blood values of Mg and Se, as did glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

We may conclude that in DM there is a Mg deficit which becomes significant in DZ+PAD especially in forms with high blood pressure (HBP), severe dyslipidemia and in the presence of early microvascular complications, our paper suggesting the opportunity of a substitutive treatment with Mg and Se in selected cases.