Identifying High-Yield Groups for the Detection of Low Serum Magnesium in Diabetes: A Nationally Representative Study of Korean Adults

Background/Objectives: Diabetes predisposes to magnesium deficiency, yet serum magnesium is not routinely measured. Using an unselected national sample, I sought a practical criterion for predicting which adults with diabetes are more likely to have low serum magnesium (<0.75 mmol/L) and examined clinical correlates.

Methods

I analyzed 5798 adults aged ≥19 years from the 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using survey-weighted methods. Diagnostic yield was the proportion tested with low serum magnesium. Criteria combining guideline-based glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) thresholds were compared by diagnostic yield and Youden index.