Diabetes Linked To Differences In Kidney Function And Electrolyte Levels, Study Finds

A comparative cross-sectional study of 300 individuals found significant differences in selected kidney function and electrolyte measures between people with diabetes and healthy participants.

However, the researchers noted that the absolute differences were generally small and should be interpreted cautiously.

The study included 150 patients with diabetes and 150 healthy individuals.

Researchers compared renal markers such as urea, uric acid and creatinine, along with serum levels of calcium, sodium, potassium and chloride. They also assessed the relationship between random blood glucose and these laboratory measures.

Participants with diabetes recorded higher mean creatinine and urea levels than healthy individuals.

Creatinine and urea levels were higher in the diabetes group, while potassium also showed a modest increase. Sodium and calcium levels were lower compared with healthy participants.

Researchers found statistically significant associations between random blood glucose and some laboratory measures.

Blood glucose showed a weak positive correlation with urea and a weak negative correlation with creatinine. It also showed a moderate negative correlation with sodium, which was the strongest correlation reported.

However, the authors stressed that these relationships were modest and did not demonstrate that changes in glucose directly caused the renal or electrolyte differences.

Logistic regression identified urea, uric acid, sodium and potassium as factors independently associated with diabetes.

Higher urea and potassium were associated with increased odds of diabetes, while uric acid and sodium showed inverse associations.

Overall, the findings indicate differences in selected renal and electrolyte measures among people with diabetes.

However, the cross-sectional design does not establish causality or determine the direction of these relationships. Further longitudinal research is needed to assess their clinical relevance and potential role in diabetes monitoring.

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