Magnesium and obesity: influence of gender, glucose tolerance, and body fat distribution on circulating magnesium concentrations

Abstract

Obesity is characterized by a high risk for glucose intolerance and cardiovascular disease. Since magnesium deficiency or depletion have often been associated with both pathologies, is of interest to study magnesium status in severely obese subjects before any form of treatment. Negative magnesium balances have been described in overweight persons submitted to total starvation, hypocaloric diets, and obesity surgery. For this reason 80 non-diabetic obese men and 118 age-matched obese women were studied. Serum and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations were significantly higher in the male population but the mean values were not suggestive of a magnesium deficit before any form of treatment was started. Since metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk are greater in patients with upper body fat distribution (UBFD) both sexes were subdivided according to "waist-to-hip" circumference ratio. No difference could be shown in the obese men but in women, UBFD subjects showed higher basal insulin levels and increased erythrocyte magnesium concentration as compared to those with classical gynoid fat distribution. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test enabled the subjects to be subdivided into those with normal or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The IGT group in both sexes was older and more obese. Mean values of serum magnesium and erythrocyte magnesium were not decreased despite the more pronounced insulin resistance in the IGT group. However a significant negative correlation was found between fasting blood sugar/insulinaemia and erythrocyte magnesium, showing that this middle-aged obese population can maintain normal circulating levels of magnesium, in contrast to type II diabetics or older subjects where for other reasons (urinary losses or decreased intake) magnesium status is interfered with.