Thiamine Level in Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Comparative Study Focusing on Hematological and Biochemical Evaluations

Objective Diabetes has been found to be associated with low levels of thiamine stores in the body, as thiamine directly affects carbohydrate metabolism. Amplified renal clearance of thiamine has been found in both type I and type II diabetic patients. It has been shown that high-dose thiamine therapy may have a therapeutic effect on early-stage diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate various biochemical parameters and serum thiamine levels in type I and type II diabetic patients and compare them with a healthy control group. Methods A case-control study was carried out in the diabetic out-patient multi-centers in Karachi. A total of 90 participants were selected by using a non-probability convenient sampling technique and divided into three groups, each with 30 subjects. Group A included healthy non-diabetic subjects, while group B included subjects with type I diabetes mellitus (DM), and group C included subjects with type II DM. After receiving informed consent, blood samples were collected from all the participants for hematological and biochemical evaluation. The duration of the study was eight months. Results The study results revealed that the patients with type II DM had significantly higher mean fasting blood sugar (FBS), random blood sugar (RBS), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels than those with type I DM or the control group (p<0.001 for all). Furthermore, the patients with type I or II DM had significantly higher mean levels of triglyceride (p<0.001) and total cholesterol (0.013) while significantly lower mean levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (p=0.014) than controls. The study results further revealed that the patients with type I or II DM had significantly lower serum thiamine levels than controls (14.89±4.82 and 7.35±1.90 vs. 69.56±12.75, p<0.001). Conclusion The study results revealed that FBS, RBS, HbA1c, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in both type I and type II diabetes patients compared to controls. Furthermore, HDL and serum thiamine levels were found to be significantly lower in both type I and type II diabetic patients than in controls.