Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of metabolic
disorders characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbance of
carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in Insulin
secretion, insulin action or both the effect of diabetes mellitus include
long term damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs, eyes,
kidneys, nerves and heart and blood vessels. (Bennett et al., 2005)
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a diabetes mellitus
(DM) induced disorder of the peripheral nervous system ( Deli et
al.,2014) and is characterized by the pain and loss of sensation due to
symmetrical degeneration of distal peripheral nerves. The symptoms will
deteriorate with the progression, which may result in diabetic ulcers or
even no traumatic amputation.
Statistics revealed that the incidence of DPN was as high as
30%, 60%, and 90% at 5, 10, and 20 years after diagnosis of DM, and
foot injury had occurred in 50% of DPN patients when they were
asymptomatic. (Boulton et al., 2005)
The incidence of neuropathy is now estimated to be about 8%
in new cases of DM, and neuropathy will be a lifelong disease in more
than 50% of DM patients, which is about 4 times the figure (12.3%) in
DM patients in 2001. (Tesfaye et al .,2012)
Recently there has been an emerging interest regarding the
important roles played by magnesium in various cell processes in the
body. ( Hans et al .,2002)
Introduction
-2
Magnesium is an essential element and has a fundamental role in
carbohydrate metabolism in general and in Insulin action in particular.
Magnesium is a cofactor in both glucose transport mechanism of the cell
membranes and for various intracellular enzymes involved in the
carbohydrate oxidation. The concentration of magnesium in serum of
healthy people is constant However 25 to 39% of diabetic people have
low concentrations of serum magnesium. Magnesium depletion has a
negative impact on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in patients
with type 2diabetes as well as on the evolution of complications such as
retinopathy, arterial atherosclerosis and nephropathy .( Grafton et al
.,1992)
Studies have shown that magnesium levels are lower in patients
with diabetes compared with nondiabetic controls. (Limaye et al.,2011)
The association of hypomagnesaemia with poor glycemic
control and also with various long-term complications of diabetes
mellitus have been reported. ( Pham et al., 2007 ) |
