Association between serum creatinine and type 2 diabetes in the Chinese population: a retrospective cohort study

The relationship between serum creatinine and type 2 diabetes is limited. We aimed to investigate the association of baseline serum creatinine and new-onset type 2 diabetes in Chinese population. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the health screening program in China. The population were divided into four groups based on serum creatinine levels, and the outcome of interest was the occurrence of a diabetic event. Cox proportional risk model was used to assess the independent effect of baseline serum creatinine level on future diabetes risk. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis were used to verify the reliability of the results. After an average follow-up of 3.12 years, among 201,298 individuals aged ≥ 20 years, 3389 patients developed diabetes. Compared with participants in quartile 2–4 (> 51.6umol/L for female, > 71.8umol/L for male,), a significantly higher risk of new-onset Type 2 Diabetes (OR, 1.15; 95%CI: 1.07–1.23) was found in those in quartile 1 (< 51.6umol/L for female, < 71.8umol/L for male). Moreover, Similar results were found in various subgroups stratified by age, BMI, TG, TC, FPG and family history group. Low serum creatinine is independently associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults. It was also stable in various subgroups stratified.