Assessment of laboratory parameters in overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors

Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with a steadily rising global incidence. It is frequently associated with overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia. Insulin resistance is present in most cases, and its development is promoted by obesity and chronic inflammation. The aim of our study was to evaluate a cohort of T2DM patients with elevated body mass index (BMI) referred to hospital care, with a particular focus on cardiovascular complications assessed through laboratory tests and predictive ratios. The study was conducted at the Department of Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Emergency County Hospital, Târgu Mureș, and included patients with previously diagnosed T2DM and a BMI above 25 kg/m² admitted during the first 10 months of 2022. Along with BMI, demographic and laboratory data were collected from the hospital database. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad InStat3. The study included 142 overweight/obese T2DM patients, with a mean age of 65.48 years. Of these, 54% were from rural areas, and the gender distribution was balanced. Approximately one-third of patients had elevated uric acid and cholesterol levels, while 55.7% presented with hypertriglyceridemia. A positive correlation was found between key lipid parameters and uric acid levels, while negative correlations were observed between the triglyceride/glycemia ratio and the cholesterol/triglyceride ratio. The most frequent complications were diabetic neuropathy and coronary artery disease. Dyslipidemia was present in more than half of the patients, while elevated uric acid levels were observed in one-third of cases. Several correlations were identified between major metabolic parameters and derived ratios. Correcting abnormal values may play an important role in preventing cardiovascular complications.