ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GALECTIN-3 AND MICROVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

Although serum galectin-3 levels are elevated in patients with T2DM and microvascular complications and demonstrate strong univariate associations with microalbuminuria, galectin-3 does not remain independently associated after adjustment for BMI and glycemic control. These findings suggest that galectin-3 may reflect underlying metabolic and inflammatory burden rather than acting as an independent predictor of microvascular complications in T2DM.