Background
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive and endocrinological disorders among women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS often experience oligomenorrhea (infrequent menstrual periods), high levels of androgens (so-called “male hormones”), infertility, and insulin resistance. Given the importance of magnesium in carbohydrate metabolism, this study asked whether serum magnesium was associated with glycemic markers or testosterone among women with PCOS.
The study
The study was a cross-sectional analysis of a previous randomized controlled trial[1] and assessed blood samples from 1,000 women in China with PCOS to evaluate serum magnesium, fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose, the homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), the quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and serum testosterone.
The results
After adjusting for confounders, women in the highest quartile of serum magnesium had lower fasting blood glucose, HOMA-IR, testosterone, and a higher QUICKI (indicative of greater insulin sensitivity) than women in the lowest quartile of serum magnesium, and they also had nonsignificantly lower insulin levels.
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This Study Summary was published on August 3, 2021.
References
- ^Xiao-Ke Wu, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Hong-Ying Kuang, Hong-Li Ma, Jing-Shu Gao, Liang-Zhen Xie, Li-Hui Hou, Zhen-Xing Hu, Xiao-Guang Shao, Jun Ge, Jin-Feng Zhang, Hui-Ying Xue, Xiao-Feng Xu, Rui-Ning Liang, Hong-Xia Ma, Hong-Wei Yang, Wei-Li Li, Dong-Mei Huang, Yun Sun, Cui-Fang Hao, Shao-Min Du, Zheng-Wang Yang, Xin Wang, Ying Yan, Xiu-Hua Chen, Ping Fu, Cai-Fei Ding, Ya-Qin Gao, Zhong-Ming Zhou, Chi Chiu Wang, Tai-Xiang Wu, Jian-Ping Liu, Ernest H Y Ng, Richard S Legro, Heping Zhang, PCOSAct Study GroupEffect of Acupuncture and Clomiphene in Chinese Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical TrialJAMA.(2017 Jun 27)