Abstract
Background: Electrolyte disturbances are clinically significant yet underrecognized complications of diabetes mellitus, particularly in patients with poor glycemic control. Chronic hyperglycemia promotes osmotic diuresis and impairs renal ion handling, leading to alterations in sodium, potassium, and calcium homeostasis.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and pattern of electrolyte imbalances in adult diabetic patients and to evaluate their association with glycemic markers (fasting blood sugar [BSR] and HbA1c).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care biochemistry laboratory. A convenience sample of 103 diabetic patients (aged 30–70 years) was enrolled. Serum sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and calcium (Ca²⁺) were measured using ion-selective electrode methods on an automated analyzer. HbA1c was quantified by HPLC. Spearman correlation and multivariate regression (ANOVA) were applied using SPSS.
Results: The cohort comprised 63 males (61.2%) and 40 females (38.8%), with a mean age of 46.1 ± 11.0 years. Mean HbA1c was 9.33 ± 2.14%, indicating poor glycemic control. Mean serum Na⁺ was 138.3 ± 4.0 mEq/L, K⁺ was 3.98 ± 0.47 mEq/L, and Ca²⁺ was 9.81 ± 8.48 mg/dL. Spearman correlation revealed significant positive associations between HbA1c and Na⁺ (ρ = 0.452, p < 0.001), K⁺ (ρ = 0.289, p = 0.003), and Ca²⁺ (ρ = 0.314, p = 0.001). HbA1c was the only significant independent predictor of serum Na⁺ in multivariate regression (β = 0.857, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Electrolyte disturbances are significantly associated with worsening glycemic control in diabetic patients. Routine monitoring of serum electrolytes alongside blood glucose should be integrated into standard diabetic care to prevent serious neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic sequelae