Association Between Lipid Profile Parameters and Urinary Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Dyslipidaemia and increased urinary albumin excretion may coexist in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), potentially reflecting overlapping metabolic and renal abnormalities. However, the relationship between individual lipid profile parameters and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) may vary across populations. We aimed to evaluate the association between serum lipid profile parameters and UACR among patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. This hospital-based, cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, Agartala, Tripura, India, from June 2023 to December 2024. A total of 270 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were included. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) were assessed. UACR was calculated using urinary albumin and creatinine concentrations measured in spot urine samples. Associations between UACR and individual lipid parameters were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation analysis, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The mean age of participants was 39.6 ± 8.1 years, and 51.9% were male. The mean UACR was 39.3 ± 9.0 mg/g. Mean concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, VLDL-C, and LDL-C were 207.8 ± 20.9, 188.6 ± 15.0, 25.4 ± 3.3, 37.7 ± 3.0, and 129.8 ± 15.9 mg/dL, respectively. UACR showed a significant positive correlation with total cholesterol (r = 0.350, p < 0.001) and a significant negative correlation with HDL-C (r = −0.295, p < 0.001). A weak positive correlation was observed between UACR and LDL-C (r = 0.134, p = 0.028). No statistically significant correlations were observed between UACR and triglycerides (r = 0.005, p = 0.930) or VLDL-C (r = −0.006, p = 0.919). In patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, UACR was significantly associated with total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C, whereas no significant linear correlations were observed with triglycerides or VLDL-C. The strength and direction of the associations differed across lipid parameters. As the study was cross-sectional and the analyses were unadjusted, these findings do not establish causality or independent predictive relationships. Further longitudinal studies with multivariable analysis are warranted.