Prevalence of Microvascular Complications in Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending Nephrology Outpatient Department at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder with a rising global prevalence and represents a significant public health challenge. Persistent hyperglycemia in T2DM is closely linked to the development of microvascular complications. Objective: To assess the prevalence of microvascular complications namely- diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the nephrology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Method: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh and included 283 confirmed cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients aged 20 years and above. Participants were selected consecutively from the outpatient departments. Microvascular complications were identified using clinical assessments and diagnostic investigations. Results: Of the 283 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 66.4% (n = 188) had at least one microvascular complication. Diabetic neuropathy was the most prevalent, affecting 49.8% of patients, followed by diabetic retinopathy in 38.2% with 19.1% of these cases showing proliferative changes. Diabetic foot was identified in 24.7% of patients. A significantly higher prevalence of microvascular complications was seen among patients with a longer duration of diabetes (p = 0.002), coexisting hypertension (p = 0.005), and more advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (p = 0.003). Biochemical analyses showed that patients with microvascular complications had higher mean serum creatinine levels (3.68 ± 2.35 mg/dl versus 2.57 ± 1.41 mg/dl; p < 0.001) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values (23.40 ± 14.1135 ml/min/1.73 m² versus 31.22 ± 14.35 ml/min/1.73 m²; p < 0.001) compared to those without complications. No statistically significant associations were found with age, gender, body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes, lipid profile, fasting blood glucos