A Comparison of Serum Magnesium and Blood Sugar Levels between Obese and Normal-Weight Adolescents

In recent years, there has been a sharp rise in the prevalence of obesity across all age groups, which poses a serious threat to public health. Numerous micronutrients, including magnesium, are deficient in obese people. Magnesium is a vital cofactor for hundreds of enzyme systems and is involved in the metabolism of sugars, proteins, and lipids. Obesity is one of the most significant risk factors associated with the development of glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. Given the recent rise in obesity at young ages, this study aimed at comparing serum magnesium and blood sugar levels between obese and normal-weight adolescents.

In this case-control study, fifty-seven 12-18-year-old obese and overweight adolescents (BMI above 85% as the case group) and normal-weight adolescents (BMI between 65% and 85% as the control group) were selected randomly from high schools across Birjand. Upon recruitment and assignment of participants, blood samples were collected and serum magnesium and glucose levels were measured. SPSS 15 software was utilized to analyze the collected data.

Age and gender distributions were similar between the case and control groups (P> 0.05). The mean serum magnesium concentration was significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (P <0.05). The mean blood sugar level in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P <0.05). There was no correlation between blood glucose and magnesium in the two groups (P> 0.05).

The mean serum magnesium concentration of overweight and obese adolescents is lower than that of normal-weight children. Therefore, serum Mg may serve as an early biomarker for predicting obesity-related diseases. Further research is required to evaluate the precise role of magnesium in obesity prevention and to establish the causal relationship between obesity and magnesium deficiency.