Serum magnesium levels in non-diabetic offspring of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

A tendency for magnesium deficiency in patients with diabetes mellitus is well established, which probably results from glycosuria-related hypermagnesiuria, nutritional factors or hyperinsulinaemia. Hypomagnesaemia is probably a secondary event but it can also lead to insulin resistance itself. The offspring of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk of developing diabetes and several metabolic abnormalities of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine if serum total magnesium levels in healthy offspring of T2DM patients underwent alterations and their relationship to indicators of glucose homeostasis. The sample consisted of two groups: 30 healthy offspring with at least one diabetic parent, and 30 age-matched healthy subjects with no family history of T2DM. None of the participants was on a diet. The mean serum magnesium concentration was 1.070 +/- 0.059 mmol/l in offspring and 1.075 +/- 0.084 mmol/l in controls (p=0.66). There was no statistically significant correlation between serum magnesium levels and parameters of glucose homeostasis in offspring. Our results support the conclusion that total serum magnesium probably has no relationship with the main indicators of glucose homeostasis in offspring of T2DM patients and is not likely to be a fundamental risk factor for the development of insulin resistance.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels in non-diabetic offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is considered to be involved in the insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of developing diabetes and several metabolic abnormalities, but the underlying defects responsible are not known. We studied serum TNF-alpha levels in 30 healthy non-diabetic offspring of type 2 diabetic parents (group A), and the relationship between TNF-alpha levels and variables associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. For comparison, 30 healthy offspring of non-diabetic parents (group B) were also studied. The median serum concentration of TNF-alpha was significantly higher in group A than in group B, 3.5 pg/ml compared with 2.0 pg/ml, respectively. The individuals of group A also had significantly elevated levels of glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting glucose, glucose 2 h after an oral glucose tolerance test and triglycerides. We conclude that serum TNF-alpha concentration is significantly elevated in non-diabetic offspring of type 2 diabetics and this may predict later impairment of insulin action in these individuals.