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Oral Magnesium Supplementation Improved Lipid Profile but Increased Insulin Resistance in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy: a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Abstract

Low serum magnesium concentrations were associated with development of renal failure. We aimed to determine whether magnesium supplementation improves renal function, insulin resistance, and metabolic profiles in patients with diabetic nephropathy. A total of 80 hypomagnesemic patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and early-stage nephropathy were recruited. Subjects received either daily magnesium oxide or placebo for 12 weeks. Biochemical and anthropometric variables were measured. Physical activity and dietary intakes were also recorded. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and was registered on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (IRCT registration no. IRCT201404271485N12). Serum magnesium levels were not changed significantly. Although the supplementation did not influence glycemic indices, patients in the magnesium group had greater insulin resistance compared with the placebo group after intervention (0.3 ± 2.3 μIU/mL vs. − 0.04 ± 2.05, P = 0.04). No significant changes were observed in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio. Furthermore, magnesium did not affect inflammation, serum levels of creatinine, and blood urine nitrogen. However, a marginal decrease in microalbuminuria (− 3.1 ± 2.2 mg/L vs. − 14 ± 9.9, P = 0.09) was observed. Oral magnesium supplementation slightly improved microalbuminuria but resulted in increased insulin resistance in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

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Acknowledgments

This study was extracted from a MSc dissertation which was approved by the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (no. 193012). We wish to thank all individuals who kindly participated in our study.

Funding

The financial support for this study comes from the Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mehdi Sadeghian & Ahmad Esmaillzadeh

  2. Research Committee of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mehdi Sadeghian & Leila Azadbakht

  3. Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6117, Tehran, Iran

    Leila Azadbakht & Ahmad Esmaillzadeh

  4. Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Noushin Khalili

  5. Isfahan Kidney Diseases Research Center, Department of Nephrology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Noushin Khalili

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mojgan Mortazavi

  7. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, International Campus, Tehran, Iran

    Ahmad Esmaillzadeh

Authors
  1. Mehdi Sadeghian
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Contributions

MS, PS, FS, and AE contributed in the conception, design, statistical analyses, data interpretation, and manuscript drafting. All authors approved the final manuscript for submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmad Esmaillzadeh.

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Transparency Declaration

The lead author affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported. The reporting of this work is compliant with CONSORT guidelines. The lead author affirms that no important aspects of the study have been omitted and that any discrepancies from the study as planned (IRCT registration no. IRCT201404271485N12) have been explained.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Novelty Statement

To manage renal function in diabetic nephropathy, several strategies included have been applied, but this is the first study which examined the effect of magnesium supplementation on renal function, insulin resistance, and metabolic profiles in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

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Appendix

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Fig. 2
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Results of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test

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Normality histograms

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Normality histograms

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Normality histograms

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Fig. 6
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Normality histograms

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Sadeghian, M., Azadbakht, L., Khalili, N. et al. Oral Magnesium Supplementation Improved Lipid Profile but Increased Insulin Resistance in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy: a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Biol Trace Elem Res 193, 23–35 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01687-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01687-6

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