Serum magnesium levels in type 2 diabetic patients and effect of magnesium supplement therapy in glycemic control and insulin resistance of these patients

Abstract

Diabetes is a heterogeneous metabolic disease that impaired secretion or function of the insulin hormone causes hyperglycemia and affects various organs and systems of the body. Due to the many complications of chronic hyperglycemia, controlling diabetes and investigating its effects is of great importance. According to some studies, magnesium ion plays a critical role in the function of insulin hormone, and it also affects the level of insulin resistance. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of magnesium supplementation in diabetics to improve blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Materials and methods: 60 adult patients who were referred to the endocrinology clinic of Imam Reza (AS) Hospital with type 2 diabetes, who had been diagnosed for at least one year and were under oral drug treatment, were randomly selected and divided into two intervention and control groups after completion of the written consent form. While the intervention group received elemental magnesium supplements for three months in the form of 250 mg magnesium oxide tablets once a day, placebos were given to the control group. Before and after receiving the supplement/placebo, blood samples had taken from the patients, and the level of fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum fasting insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum magnesium level, total serum calcium, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, AST, ALT, ALK.P, and HOMA-IR index were evaluated and compared. Results: After statistical analysis, the results showed no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, medications received, and underlying diseases between the intervention and control groups. The mean and standard deviation of the initial serum m-agnesium in the intervention group was 1.85±0.30, and it was 2.09±0.25 in the control group, which is a significant difference according to P-value=0.001. After three months of supplementation, the magnesium level of the intervention group significantly increased to 2.07±0.34 (P-value=0.001), while the control group did not show a significant difference (P-value=0.241). The primary and secondary FBS levels in the intervention group were, respectively, 133.77±20.86 and 123.70±17.53 (P-value=0.009), and in the control group, 115.80±20.04 and 112.17±16.44 (P-value=0.137), which means there is no significant difference in the comparison of the two groups (P-value=0.141). The fasting insulin level in the intervention group decreased from 9.57±3.83 to 8.43±4.06 (P-value=0.032), and the HOMA-IR index of this group decreased from 3.16±1.33 to 2.58±1.30 (P-value=0.003). Meanwhile, the fasting insulin of the control group increased from 10.02±3.88 to 11.10±4.85 (P-value=0.032), and the HOMA-IR index increased from 2.93±1.38 to 3.14±1.59 at the end of the study (P-value=0.112). Finally, comparing the insulin level (P-value=0.002) and, HOMA-IR index (P-value=0.001) of two groups showed a significant difference. Comparing baseline and final level of HbA1c in each intervention and control groups, were not significantly different. (Respectively P-value=0.177, P-value=0.817) and, no statistically significant difference was observed in comparition between the groups. (P-value=0.210)