DIABETES was associated with differences in renal function and electrolyte measures in a comparative cross-sectional study of 300 individuals. Although several differences were statistically significant, their absolute magnitude was generally limited, highlighting the importance of cautious clinical interpretation.
The study included 150 patients with diabetes and 150 healthy individuals. Researchers compared renal function markers, including urea, uric acid and creatinine, as well as serum concentrations of calcium, sodium, potassium and chloride. They also examined correlations between random blood glucose and these laboratory measures.
Most demographic characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups, supporting their overall comparability. However, patients with diabetes had significantly higher mean creatinine and urea levels than healthy participants. Creatinine levels were 0.5926±0.2134 in the diabetes group compared with 0.5463±0.1284 in the healthy group (p=0.0242). Mean urea levels were 25.47±8.986 and 22.25±6.639, respectively (p=0.0006).
These findings suggest measurable differences in renal markers among individuals with diabetes. However, the relatively small absolute differences mean that their clinical significance cannot be determined from statistical significance alone.
Differences were also observed in several electrolyte measures. Potassium levels were higher among patients with diabetes than healthy individuals: 4.707±0.5688 versus 4.527±0.3470 (p=0.0012). Conversely, sodium levels were lower in the diabetes group: 137.4±13.42 versus 144.1±3.496 (p<0.0001). Calcium concentrations were also slightly lower among patients with diabetes: 2.397±0.1456 versus 2.441±0.06213 (p=0.0009).
Pearson correlation analysis identified statistically significant relationships between random blood glucose and several laboratory measures. Random blood glucose showed a weak positive correlation with urea (r=0.1713; p=0.0415) and a weak negative correlation with creatinine (r=-0.1623; p=0.0496). A moderate negative correlation was observed between random blood glucose and sodium (r=-0.3644; p<0.0001), representing the strongest reported correlation.
The authors noted that these relationships were modest and should not be interpreted as evidence that altered glucose levels directly caused the observed renal or electrolyte differences.
Binary logistic regression identified urea, uric acid, sodium and potassium as factors independently associated with diabetes. Higher urea was associated with greater odds of diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.0522; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0166–1.0890; p=0.0038), as was higher potassium (OR: 1.8766; 95% CI: 1.0460–3.3667; p=0.0348).
Uric acid was inversely associated with diabetes (OR: 0.6956; 95% CI: 0.5441–0.8894; p=0.0038), alongside sodium (OR: 0.9610; 95% CI: 0.9382–0.9843; p=0.0011).
Overall, the findings demonstrate statistically significant differences in selected renal and electrolyte measures between the groups. However, the cross-sectional design prevents conclusions about causality or the direction of these relationships. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish their clinical relevance and determine whether these measures could contribute meaningfully to monitoring patients with diabetes.
Reference
Abbas AB et al. Evaluation of renal function tests and serum electrolytes in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals: a comparative cross-sectional study. Sci Rep. 2026;DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-70266-2.
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