Fasting Blood Glucose and Serum Creatinine Patterns in Outbound Migrant Workers: Implications for Chronic Disease Screening

Background: Outbound migrant workers undergo mandatory pre-departure medical screening primarily to detect infectious diseases.However, with the rising global burden of non-communicable diseases, there is an increasing need to assess metabolic and renal health in this population.This study aimed to evaluate fasting blood glucose and serum creatinine patterns among migrant workers to inform chronic disease screening policies.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Biochemistry, Muscat Medical Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January to December 2024.A total of 450 migrant workers undergoing pre-departure medical evaluations were enrolled consecutively after informed consent.Fasting blood glucose and serum creatinine were measured along with routine biochemical and serological tests.Results: Among the 450 participants, 84.0% had normal fasting blood glucose (<5.6 mmol/L), 12.0% had impaired fasting glucose (5.6-6.9 mmol/L), and 4.0% fell within the diabetic range (7.0 mmol/L).Serum creatinine was normal in 94.0% of individuals, borderline high in 5.78%, and elevated consistent with renal impairment in 0.22%.Overall, 93.8% were declared fit for overseas employment, while 5.1% required further evaluation and 1.1% were deemed unfit due to critical abnormalities.Conclusion: A notable proportion of migrant workers exhibit impaired glucose metabolism and borderline renal function abnormalities, underscoring the need to integrate metabolic and renal assessments into predeparture medical screening.Early identification may improve health outcomes and reduce chronic disease burden among migrant populations.