Unveiling the Role of Magnesium: Insights into Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant and escalating global health concern, with Type 2 DM (T2DM) constituting approximately 90% of all DM cases. Magnesium (Mg) plays a crucial role in various physiological processes. Hypomagnesemia is prevalent in T2DM patients. The severity of hypomagnesemia correlates with glycemic control and is linked to the development of complications associated with T2DM.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the occurrence of hypomagnesemia in patients with T2DM and explore its association with both glycemic control and the development of complications in rural and urban populations.

The study consisted of 300 diabetic and 100 non-diabetic patients between 31 and 55 years of age. Fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose, and magnesium levels were estimated using a fully automated analyzer, Selectra Pro-XL. HbA1c was measured using Bio-Rad D10. Insulin levels were calculated using the chemiluminescence method. HOMA-IR was also assessed using a formula: fasting insulin (U/mL) multiplied by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (mmol/L) divided by 22.5.

Magnesium levels were significantly lower in diabetic patients (1.34±0.29) than in the control (2.17±1.87) with p<0.0001. FBS (267.67±89.78 mg/dL vs. 167.87±76.87 mg/dL, p<0.0001), PPBS (376.87±112.87 mg/dL vs. 287.90±99.98 mg/dL, p<0.0001), HbA1c (9.54±2.6 % vs. 7.23±1.8 %, p<0.0001), Insulin (17.21±8.98 IU/mL vs. 14.87±5.98 IU/ mL, p=0.039) and HOMA-IR (7.32±3.67 vs. 6.13±0.99, p=0.012) were significantly elevated in the hypomagnesemia group than the normal magnesium levels. Magnesium levels were negatively correlated with FBS (r=-0.465; p<0.0001), PPBS (r=-0.596; p<0.0001, HbA1c (r=-0.765; p<0.0001), Insulin (r=-0.454; p<0.0001), and HOMA-IR (r=-0.325; p<0.0001).

Our study suggests that monitoring serum magnesium levels is crucial for individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to manage hypomagnesemia, mitigate associated complications, and optimize overall care.