Sex difference in the relationship of calcium and magnesium excretion to glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus

In order to assess the variability and possible causes of calcium and magne sium losses in diabetes mellitus, urinary calcium and magnesium excretion w ere monitored six monthly over a 3-year period in 108 stable, type 1 diabet ic patients who were having assessment of their clinical status and glycaem ic control over the same period. In the patients studied the ranges of excr etion of both calcium and magnesium were considerably wider than our non-di abetic reference ranges but the within subject variation in excretion was h igh. However, using mean values obtained over the study period, a direct re lationship was observed between the excretion of both calcium and magnesium and HbA(1) in female patients (P<0.01) but not in males who had similar Hb A(1) values. The urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium did not relate to any of the other clinical or biochemical indices measured, including bod y mass index, daily insulin dose, retinal status or albumin excretion. It i s suggested that, in poorly controlled patients, fi:males may have a greate r risk than males of developing the complications associated with chronic c alcium and magnesium loss. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.