World Applied Sciences Journal 12 (10): 1803-1806, 2011 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2011 Corresponding Author: Syed Zulfiquar Ali Shah, Department of Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro / Hyderabad (LUMHS), Pakistan. Cell: +92-300-3057155, E-mail: zulfikar229@hotmail.com. 1803 Hypomagnesemia in Patients with Diabetes mellitus Muhammed Khalid Shaikh, Bikha Ram Devrajani, Aftab Ahmed Soomro, Syed Zulfiquar Ali Shah, Tarachand Devrajani and Thanver Das Department of Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro, Hyderabad (LUMHS), Pakistan Abstract: This study evaluated the frequency of hypomagnesemia in patients with diabetes mellitus and was conducted at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad from October 2009 to March 2010. The diabetic patients (type 1 and 2) were evaluated for their serum magnesium level by taking 2cc venous blood sample and sent to laboratory for analysis. Total 100 diabetic patients were studies, of which 77(77%) patients were type 2 diabetic and 23(23%) patients were type 1 diabetic. The mean age and standard deviation of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes was 21.34 ± 3.43 (SD) and 42.43 ± 6.521 (SD), respectively. The mean ± SD for serum magnesium in overall subjects was 1.34 ± 0.53. The hypomagnesemia was identified in 08 (14.5%) patients of type 1 diabetes and 47 (85.5%) of type 2 diabetes (P = 0.02). The mean ± SD of serum magnesium level in male and female population was 1.3000 ±0.5087 and 1.3882± 0.5577, respectively.). The hypomagnesemia was identified in patients with diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2 with statistical significant values. Of 55 hypomagnesemic diabetic patients the Heamoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was raised in 40 (72.7%) patients. Key words: Magnesium %Diabetes mellitus %Type 2 diabetes %Type 1 diabetes INTRODUCTION most abundant element by mass in the human body and The number of people with diabetes is increasing due a major role in manipulating important biological to population growth, aging, urbanization and increasing polyphosphate compounds [7]. The disturbance in serum prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity. Quantifying magnesium level i.e. hypomagnesemia has been reported the prevalence of diabetes and the number of people to occur among patients of diabetes mellitus [8]. The affected by diabetes, now and in the future, is important prevalence of hypomagnesemia in diabetes mellitus is to allow rational planning and allocation of resources [1]. 65% [9]. The persistent hypomagnesemia leads to raised There are an estimated 23.6 million people in the U.S. serum glucose level, insulin resistance and the degree of (7.8% of the population) with diabetes and 17.9 million magnesium depletion correlates positively with serum being diagnosed, [2] 90% of whom are type 2[3].With glucose concentration and the degree of glucosuria [10]. prevalence rates doubling between 1990 and 2005, CDC Secondly, hypomagnesemia may increase the risk of has characterized the increase as an epidemic [4]. Pakistan cardiovascular abnormalities [11,12]. Intracellular Mg is estimated to have 7 million people with diabetes. plays a key role in regulating insulin action, insulin- Currently it is 8th in the world according to WHO mediated-glucose uptake and vascular tone. Reduced estimation of prevalence of diabetes and by the year 2025 intracellular Mg concentrations result in a defective is expected to be 4th with 15 million people with diabetes, tyrosine-kinase activity, post-receptorial impairment in representing a 2 fold increase in caseload [5]. It is also one insulin action and worsening of insulin resistance in of the most common chronic diseases affecting children diabetic patients. with about 200 children world-wide develop type 1 Therefore, keeping all relevant discussion in mind, diabetes every day [6]. the present study was conducted in a tertiary care The magnesium (Mg) is present in greatest teaching hospital of Hyderabad. This study focused on concentration within the cell and is the second most the disturbance in serum magnesium level abundant intracellular cation after potassium. It is the 11 (hypomagnesemia) in patients with diabetes mellitus. th its ions are essential to all living cells, whereas they play