Oral magnesium supplementation decreases C-reactive protein levels in subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia: a clinical randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Background and aims: It has been suggested that magnesium deficiency is associated with the triggering of acute phase response, which may contribute to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. We undertook this study to determine whether oral magnesium supplementation modifies serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in apparently healthy subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia.

Methods: A total of 62 men and non-pregnant women aged 18-65 year, with new diagnosis of prediabetes (glucose 5.6 <7.0 mmol/L and/or post-load glucose ≥7.7 <11.1 mmol/L) and hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium levels <0.74 mmol/L) were enrolled in a clinical double-blind placebo-controlled trial and randomly allocated to receive either magnesium chloride (30 mL of MgCl2 5% solution) or NaHCO3 0.1% solution, once daily for 3 months.

Results: At basal conditions, anthropometric and biochemical variables were similarly distributed in both groups. At the end of follow-up, participants who received magnesium chloride showed higher serum magnesium levels (0.86 ± 0.08 vs. 0.69 ± 0.16 mmol/L, p = 0.002) and lower hsCRP levels (4.8 ± 15.2 vs. 17.1 ± 21.0 nmol/L, p = 0.01) compared with participants in the control group.

Conclusions: Oral magnesium supplementation decreases hsCRP levels in apparently healthy subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesemia.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Hypomagnesemia; Magnesium; Prediabetes.