SERUM CALCIUM LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Background: Evidence for a disturbance of mineral metabolism in diabetes has accumulated since the eighties of the last decade. Calcium ion shown to play an important role in the biosynthesis, storage, release and activity of insulin, in addition, to glucose tolerance in human beings.Objective: To examine if serum calcium level (SCaL) is influenced in patients with type II diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM).Methods: The study comprised one hundred twenty subjects of both sexes. Sixty patients of newly diagnosed type 2 DM with a mean±SD age of 47.6±11.6 years and 60 healthy controls with a mean age±SD of 35.2±14.3 years. Main outcome measures (SCaL) and serum glucose level (SGL) in fasting blood samples.Results: Serum calcium level and SGL were significantly higher in newly diagnosed type 2 DM as compared to healthy non-diabetic controls. Furthermore, there was no correlation between SCaL and hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Conclusion: Hypercalcemia may be a result of other factors in diabetes mellitus rather than hyperglycemia. Key words: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, calcium, glucose, hypercalcemia, hyperglycemia