Magnesium deficiency in heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the serum magnesium level in heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, in collaboration with National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi, from April 2003 to December 2003. The study included 45 diagnosed cases of heart failure with diabetes mellitus, between the age group 35-65 years. Serum magnesium and glucose levels were estimated and compared by using the student "t" test and p value (<0.01, <0.05, <0.001) were used to analyze the statistical significance. RESULTS: Out of 45 cases of heart failure, 15 were diabetic. Of these, eleven (73.3%) had low serum magnesium (<1.8 mg/dl), one (6.7%) was within normal range (1.8-2.0 mg/dl) and three (20%) were in the high level range(>2.0 mg/dl). CONCLUSION: The study showed low serum magnesium level in heart failure patients with diabetes mellitus.

Role of L-carnitine in male infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the free L-camitine helps in maintaining normal fertility. METHODS: The present descriptive study was designed to show comparison of seminal free L-carnitine and sperm quality. Case controlled convenient sampling was used to assess infertile male subjects from fertile. A total of 61 adult males were selected by consent, and were categorized as fertile and infertile on the basis of history and semen analysis. Subjects were selected from Infertility Clinic, Reproductive Health Services Centre of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Subject's with history of pelvic surgery, or suffering from diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases or using steroids, antihypertensives and antipsychotics drugs were excluded from the study. Groups were compared using student's t-test and p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean values of sperm count, total motility and normal morphology of asthenospermic and oligoasthenoteratospermic were found significantly (p < 0.05) lower when compared with fertile (control). When levels of seminal free L-carnitine were compared among groups, the result showed that infertile subjects had significantly lower (P < 0.001) when compared to fertile subjects with lowest concentration in azoospermic group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggested that L-carnitine level in seminal plasma plays an essentialrole in maintaining male fertility. However larger studies on Pakistani population with this approach are warranted.