Background/Objective: In order to address the current knowledge gap with regard to serum calcium-to-magnesium ratio (Ca/Mg) in patients with adrenal incidentalomas, we aimed to analyze Ca/Mg in menopausal women diagnosed with these tumors versus (tumor-free) controls across DXA categories. Methods. This is a retrospective, real-world, cross-sectional study in 474 menopausal women admitted at a single tertiary center of endocrinology. Results. Tumor group (N=111) had osteoporosis/osteopenia/normal DXA prevalence: 17.1%, 36.9% and 46%, respectively, control group: 13.8%, 45.5%, and 40.8%. Ca/Mg ratio was similar between DXA sub-groups in each group. Tumor group: Ca/Mg corelated with age (r=0.288, p=0.047), P1NP (r= -0.459, p=0.011), osteocalcin (r= -0.37, p=0.026) and CrossLaps (r= -0.446, p=0.006) in subjects with normal DXA (N=51), while in those osteoporotic (N=19), with glycated hemoglobin A1c (r=0.596, p=0.025). Control group (N=363): Ca/Mg corelated with age (N=165, r=0.178, p=0.034), fasting glycemia (r=0.253, p=0.003), glycated hemoglobin A1c (r=0.22, p=0.045), osteocalcin (r= -0.196, p=0.03), and CrossLaps (r= -0.193, p=0.034) in osteopenic subjects (N=165) and with P1NP (r= -0.249, p=0.027) in normal DXA (N=148). Conclusion. Osteopenic subjects (regardless tumor diagnosis) showed a direct age-Ca/Mg association, while the ratio was correlated with the bone turnover biomarkers distinctively across DXA sub-groups. Additionally, the ratio might reflect a more severe glucose profile.
Objective. In this pilot study, we aimed to analyze the blood irisin levels in relation to glucose and mineral metabolism assays in menopausal women with non-diabetic altered glucose regulation: impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Methods. This was a prospective, transversal, non-interventional, bi-centric (bi-country) study, between December 2024 and October 2025. Results. The patients (N=47) with IGT (N=21) or IFG (N=26) had a similar age (63±9.24 versus 63.46±8.16years, p=0.856), menopause duration (14.05±9.37 versus 16.76±8.07years, p=0.297), and body mass index with mean values within the obesity range (34.84±5.07 versus 31.34±6.46kg/sqm, p=0.765). Average 25-hydroxyvitamin D showed an insufficiency (28.62±8.09 versus 28.06± 6.99ng/mL). The IGT versus IFG group were found with statistically significantly higher 1-hour glycaemia in the oral glucose tolerance test (207.04±34.72 versus 179.40±33.91mg/dL, p=0.009), 2-hour insulin (101.44±67.26 versus 48.97±34.35 µUI/mL, p=001), fasting insulin (13.00±7.38 versus 8.36±3.96µUI/mL, p=0.008); HOMA-IR (3.53±2.32 versus 2.27±1.17; p=0.21) with mean levels sustaining insulin resistance. Conclusion. Circulating irisin was marginally elevated in the IGT versus the IFG group and positively correlated with body mass index in both. We found no correlation with the glucose profile, but with selective mineral metabolism assays. This pilot study requires an expansion of the sample size to pinpoint the potential practical utility of irisin as a biomarker.
Since vitamin D is synthesized from cholesterol, it is claimed to be associated with insulin resistance, suggesting that there may be an association between vitamin D glucose and lipids. For this reason, we aimed to investigate a relationship between vitamin D and biochemical parameters, including glucose and lipids. This cross-sectional study included 198 patients .admitted to the family medicine outpatient clinic between June and December 2016. There was no significant correlation between vitamin D and serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, calcium, magnesium, sodium, TSH, and body mass index values in both men and women. There was a correlation between vitamin D and total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in the younger subjects below 41 years (p=0.002). Regression analysis with other variables showed no statistical significance between vitamin D levels on LDL-C levels (P=0.309). Despite previous studies, our study did not confirm the effects of vitamin D on serum glucose, lipid, calcium, and other biochemical parameters. However, these results suggest that the standard up-to-date literature showing the relationship between vitamin D and various metabolic and hormonal disorders may need to be confirmed by new large-scale studies.
