ABSTRACT
Introduction: Magnesium is a vital intracellular cation crucial for over 320 enzymatic reactions related to energy metabolism, musculoskeletal function, and nucleic acid synthesis and plays a pivotal role in human physiology. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of dysmagnesemia in patients with diabetes mellitus and evaluate its correlations with glycemic control, medication use, and diabetic complications. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, including 316 patients aged 18 years or older with diabetes mellitus. Data included demographics, medical history, medications, and biochemical parameters. Serum total magnesium concentrations were measured, and dysmagnesemia was defined as magnesium ≤ 0.69 mmol/L for hypomagnesemia and ≥1.01 mmol/L for hypermagnesemia. Results: The prevalence of hypomagnesemia in patients with diabetes was 17.1% (95% CI: 13.3-21.7%), and hypermagnesemia was 4.1% (95% CI: 2.4-7.0%). Females were significantly overrepresented in the hypomagnesemia group, while the hypermagnesemia group showed a higher prevalence of hypertension, retinopathy, an increased albumin/creatinine ratio, chronic kidney disease (CKD), elevated creatinine levels, and a lower adjusted calcium concentration. The multinominal logistic regression exhibited that the female sex and higher serum-adjusted calcium were independent risk factors of hypomagnesemia. In contrast, the presence of hypertension, higher levels of albumin/creatinine ratio, and stage 5 CKD were independent risk factors of hypermagnesemia. Conclusions: Hypomagnesemia was common among patients with diabetes mellitus; however, hypermagnesemia was associated with microvascular complications.
ABSTRACT
Background: Magnesium (Mg) disorders are common among hospitalized patients and are linked to poor health outcomes. We aimed to determine the incidence of dysmagnesemia among medically hospitalized patients and to identify factors that are associated with dysmagnesemia. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) from April 1st, 2022, to October 31st, 2022, and involved hospitalized adult patients (≥18 years) under the care of the general internal medicine unit. The patients' serum total magnesium (Mg) concentrations were categorized as hypomagnesemia (≤0.69 mmol/L), hypermagnesemia (≥1.01 mmol/L), or dysmagnesemia, which encompassed either hypomagnesemia or hypermagnesemia. Results: Of the 304 patients evaluated, dysmagnesemia was observed in 22.0%, which comprised of 17.4% with hypomagnesemia and 4.6% with hypermagnesemia. Statistically significant associations were identified between hypermagnesemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p = 0.05) and elevated creatinine levels (p < 0.01) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p < 0.01). Hypomagnesemia was linked to lower ionized calcium (p = 0.03) and admission due to infectious diseases (p = 0.02). However, ordered regression analysis did not find any significant associations with the different magnesium groups. Conclusion: Dysmagnesemia was prevalent among hospitalized patients and was associated with different factors; however, ordered regression analysis did not find any association with the different magnesium group, probably due to the limited number of included individuals.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To establish a reference range for acylcarnitines (ACs) and amino acids (AAs) concentrations in dried blood spot (DBS) samples of Omani neonates to detect inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), and to evaluate the effect of age and sex on ACs and AAs. Methods: Electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry (+ESI-MS/MS) was used to determine ACs and AAs concentrations in DBS samples collected from 1302 healthy newborns (0-7 days) delivered at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital between August 2008 and May 2009. Results: More than fifty biomarkers that allow diagnosis of various IEMs were measured, their 1stand 99thpercentile values determined, and compared with published international data. Our results were comparable with the corresponding figures from Collaborative Laboratory Integrated Report, despite a much smaller sample size. We found that age had a significant effect on most ACs and AAs except decadienoylcarnitin, decenoylcarnitine, adipylcarnitine, palmitoylcarnitine, steatoylcarnitine, tyrosin, phenylalanine, and valine. Sex of the neonate had insignificant effect on most ACs and AAs except free-carnitine, acetylcarnitine, hexanoylcarnitine, octanoylcarnitine, malonylcarnitine, decanoylcarnitine, dodecenoylcarnitine, dodecanoylcarnitine, and tetradecanoylcarnitine. Conclusions: Tandem mass spectrometer is a highly effective tool for high throughput screening of IEM. This study is the first to publish reference intervals for ACs and AAs from DBS samples of Omani newborns. The results may prove to be of significance when determining cut-off values for newborn screening in the near future.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This is a report on the types and patterns of inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) of amino acids, organic acids and fatty acids oxidation detected by Tandem Mass Spectrometry for a period of 10 years (1998-2008) at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), the major centre for diagnosis and management of IEM in Oman. METHODS: Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used in the initial screening and diagnosis of IEMs in high risk neonatal and pediatric populations. RESULTS: Out of 1100 patients investigated, 119 were detected positive for IEM by MS/MS spectrometry. Twenty six different metabolic diseases were detected. Patients were categorized into three major groups: a) 54 with amino acids and urea cycle disorders, b) 35 with organic acid disorders, and c) 30 with fatty acid oxidation disorders. The commonest conditions encountered were maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), phenylketonuria (PKU), propionic and isovaleric acidurias, as well as HMG-CoA lyase deficiency and glutaric aciduria type II (GA-II). Most of these IEMs were over-represented in babies born to consanguineous parents, which is consistent with the recessive autosomal inheritance. CONCLUSION: This study shows that various types of IEMs, reported elsewhere, were also prevalent in Oman, but the pattern of prevalence and distribution is different. The situation, therefore, warrants the development of a nationwide screening and prevention program.
