ASSESSMENT OF SERUM URIC ACID AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVELS IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Introduction: The incidence and prevalence of diabetes and its complications has been significantly increased in recent times. C-reactive protein and hyperuricemia are early inflammatory markers associated with type 2 diabetes. Increased uric acid levels are known to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. The relationship between serum uric acid and inflammation in type 2 diabetes has not been explored thoroughly. Aim: The study estimates the levels of High sensitivity (hs) C-reactive protein and serum uric acid in type 2 diabetic patients. To find the correlation between serum uric acid levels and C-reactive protein levels in diabetic patients. Material and Methods: The observational study was conducted on 100 patients suffering from type 2 diabetic patients more than 40 years of age of either sex, coming to the biochemistry lab for investigations for six months. The serum uric acid, hs-C-reactive protein, and fasting blood glucose levels were analyzed. Results: It was observed that hs-CRP was significantly correlated with uric acid (with r=0.276, p-value= 0.005). It was also observed that there was no statistically significant difference in the mean levels of age, serum glucose, uric acid, and hs-C-reactive protein in both genders. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between serum hs-CRP and serum uric acid levels in diabetic patients. Further research should be done to investigate the effect of other inflammatory markers in diabetes.