Afitska K.

In diabetes, poor glycemic and blood pressure control lead to pathologies that affect large and/or small vessels (macrovascular and microvascular complications, respectively). The macrovascular complications lead to a higher incidence of cerebrovascular stroke, coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. Microvascular complications result in the development of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), nephropathy (kidney disease) and retinopathy (eye disease).

Since Mg is essential for glucose and insulin homeostasis, Mg deficiency plays a noticeable role in diabetes development, which is also true for diabetes complications. Diabetes patients with microvascular complications demonstrate significantly lower Mg levels than those without concomitants, and impairment of Mg status is also associated with higher risk of the development of these pathologies. Moreover, the decrease in Mg levels correlates with the severity of diabetic retinopathy and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Mg (co-)supplementation demonstrated positive effects on the parameters of diabetic foot ulcer, the most prominent manifestation of diabetic neuropathy. All in all, these data suggest that much more attention should be paid to maintaining the proper Mg status in diabetes patients to prevent disease aggravation.