Evaluation of renal function tests and serum electrolytes in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals: a comparative cross-sectional study

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease associated with impaired renal function and electrolyte balance, which may contribute to an increased risk of renal and metabolic complications. This study aimed to evaluate and compare renal function tests (RFTs) (urea, uric acid, and creatinine) and electrolytes (Ca 2+ , Na + , K + , and Cl − ) in individuals with and without diabetic disease. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 participants, including 150 diabetic patients and 150 healthy individuals. Demographic data and laboratory measurements of RFTs and electrolytes were collected. Univariate analysis was employed to compare the two groups; Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess correlations between variables; and binary logistic regression was utilized to identify independent factors associated with diabetes. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Most demographic characteristics did not differ statistically between the two groups. Diabetic patients showed significantly higher levels of creatinine (0.5926 ± 0.2134 vs. 0.5463 ± 0.1284, P = 0.0242), urea (25.47 ± 8.986 vs. 22.25 ± 6.639, P = 0.0006), and K + (4.707 ± 0.5688 vs. 4.527 ± 0.3470, P = 0.0012), while the levels of Na + (137.4 ± 13.42 vs. 144.1 ± 3.496, P < 0.0001) and Ca 2+ (2.397 ± 0.1456 vs. 2.441 ± 0.06213, P = 0.0009) were lower in diabetic patients compared to healthy individuals, with the mean absolute magnitude of the differences limited. Pearson analysis revealed statistically significant weak positive, weak negative, and moderate negative correlations between RBG and urea ( r = 0.1713, P = 0.0415), creatinine ( r =-0.1623, P = 0.0496), and Na + r =-0.3644, P < 0.0001), respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that urea (OR = 1.0522, 95% CI = 1.0166–1.0890, P = 0.0038), uric acid (OR = 0.6956, 95% CI = 0.5441–0.8894, P = 0.0038), Na + (OR = 0.9610, 95% CI = 0.9382–0.9843, P = 0.0011), and K + (OR = 1.8766, 95% CI = 1.0460–3.3667, P = 0.0348) were significant independent factors associated with diabetes. In conclusion, diabetic patients exhibit significant differences in some renal function and electrolyte indicators compared to healthy individuals, with a limited number of these indicators showing independent association with diabetes after multivariate analysis.