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Interrelations between magnesium and glucose metabolism were studied in 215 insulin-treated diabetic out-patients aged 7-70 years. All had normal serum creatinine concentrations (below 115 mumol/l) and none had other diseases or received drugs known to interfere with mineral metabolism. A definite hypomagnesaemia (less than normal mean - 2 SD) and hypermagnesiuria (greater than normal mean + 2 SD) occurred in 38.6% and 55% of the patients. In the presence of hypermagnesiuria the serum magnesium concentration was inversely correlated to the urinary magnesium excretion rate (R = -0.23, P less than 0.02). Serum magnesium correlated inversely with both fasting blood glucose (R = -0.32, P less than 0.001) and the urinary glucose excretion rate (R = -0.22, P less than 0.005). The urinary magnesium excretion rate correlated directly with the same variables (R = 0.27, P less than 0.001 and R = 0.58, P less than 0.001, respectively). These data indicate that the net tubular reabsorption of magnesium is decreased in diabetic patients in presence of hyperglycaemia, leading to hypermagnesiuria and hypomagnesaemia.
McNair et al. (Mon,) studied this question.