Correlation of serum uric acid with lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with normal creatinine level: Report from a tertiary care hospital in India

BACKGROUND: Increased serum uric acid (SUA) level is considered a risk factor for kidney diseases in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Deranged lipid profile in T2DM is an overall risk factor for cardiovascular complications. AIM: This study aimed to find the correlation between SUA and serum lipid profile in T2DM patients who had serum creatinine levels within normal limits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. Serum creatinine level was measured first. Then, patients with serum creatinine levels within normal limits were recruited as the final sample. Anthropometric measurements were conducted by an experienced clinician. A 12-h fasting venous blood sample was used to measure serum urea, lipids, sugar, and glycated hemoglobin. RESULTS: A total of 176 (male = 104 [59.1%], female = 72 [40.9%]) T2DM patients with a median age of 46 (Q1–Q3 = 40–55) years participated in the study. There was no gender difference in fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P = 0.57), SUA (P = 0.42), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.17). Females showed higher total cholesterol (TC) (P < 0.0001), triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.002), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.0002), and very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) (P = 0.01). SUA showed significant positive correlation with TG (r(s) = 0.65, P < 0.0001) and VLDL-C (r(s) = 0.63, P < 0.0001) and significant negative correlation with HDL-C (r(s) = −0.35, P < 0.0001) and FBS (r(s) = −0.45, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A higher level of SUA, an indicator for kidney disease in T2DM patients, may be associated with a higher TG and VLDL-C and lower FBS and HDL-C. Thus, SUA should be monitored along with lipid profile for early detection of the risk of kidney diseases.