HYPOMAGNESEMIA IN DIABETES

The plasma magnesium (Mg) concentrations of 582 unselected diabetic outpatients and 140 control subjects were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean plasma Mg (±S.D.) was significantly lower in the diabetic patients (0.737 ± 0.071 mmol/l) than in the control subjects (0.810 ± 0.057 mmol/l), and 146 (25%) diabetics had values below those of all control subjects except one. Plasma Mg correlated best with clinic blood glucose concentration (r = -0.32, p < 0.001) and other significant associations were observed with glycosuria, age, sex, insulin therapy and biguanide therapy. Although its significance is unclear, hypomagnesaemia could conceivably predispose to ischaemic heart disease in diabetes. © 1979.