Evaluation of the relationship between retinopathy and serum magnesium levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
İsmail S. Aslan, Melike M. Baspinar, Elif Ertan, Okcan Basat
A
BSTRACT
Purpose:
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a key microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), was evaluated in relation to serum magnesium levels, a cation essential to glucose metabolism.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 118 T2DM patients attending a family medicine clinic. Clinical assessments encompassed blood pressure measurement, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, electrolyte panel, HbA1c, lipid profile, urinalysis, and urine protein/creatinine ratio. Ophthalmology specialists confirmed DR presence and classification (proliferative or nonproliferative). Serum magnesium levels below 1.7 mg/dL were defined as hypomagnesemia.
Results:
The mean patient age was 57.1 ± 10.3 years, with an average diabetes duration of 5.8 ± 4.2 years. Hypomagnesemia was detected in 19.5% of patients. DR was present in 22.9% of cases, including 7.6% with proliferative and 15.3% with nonproliferative forms. Retinopathy was observed in 56.5% of patients with hypomagnesemia compared to 14.7% without (
Conclusion:
Hypomagnesemia is significantly associated with DR and poor glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Routine monitoring and correction of magnesium deficiency may contribute to prevention or mitigation of retinopathy in this population.