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June 7, 2026
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Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a significant cause of mortality among older adults and is often misunderstood as a chronic disease. Poor management of diabetes can lead to complications like renal dysfunction. Key renal markers, such as urea and creatinine, can be affected by these complications. Additionally, Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to various health issues in diabetic patients.


Objective: To explore the correlation between Vitamin D levels and renal biochemical markers in elderly diabetic women, an area that has been under-researched. The primary goal is to measure serum levels of urea, calcium, creatinine, and Vitamin D, and assess how Vitamin D levels relate to renal function in this population.


Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted at Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital in Thi-Qar Governorate, Iraq, from November 2024 to March 2025. The study involved 100 women aged 60 to 75, divided into two groups: 50 healthy individuals and 50 diabetic patients. Researchers measured serum levels of urea, creatinine, total calcium, and vitamin D through biochemical and immunoassay methods after collecting venous blood samples. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, employing one-way ANOVA for group comparisons and Pearson's correlation coefficient to assess associations between variables. The diagnostic utility of vitamin D was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.


Results: compared to the control group, diabetic patients exhibited considerably greater serum urea [(47.8 ± 11.5 mg/dL)] and creatinine [(1.48 ± 0.33 mg/dL)] levels than the control group [(31.5 ± 7.2 mg/dL and 0.96 ± 0.17 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.001)] ; p < 0.001].  Diabetic patients had lower serum vitamin D levels [(16.2 ± 5.8 ng/mL)] than the control group [(28.1 ± 6.6 ng/mL; p < 0.00001)]. Serum calcium levels were statistically similar in both groups. Vitamin D had statistically significant negative correlations with serum creatinine [(r = –0.42, p = 0.004)] and urea [(r = –0.32, p = 0.012)], and a positive correlation with total calcium [(r = +0.36, p = 0.007)]. Vitamin D had a good diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.82) at a cut-off value of 20 ng/mL based on the ROC analysis.


Conclusions: Elderly women with diabetes mellitus show notable renal biochemical disturbances and significant vitamin D deficiency. There is a close relationship between vitamin D status and renal impairment, evidenced by a negative correlation between kidney performance markers and vitamin D levels. These findings suggest that measuring vitamin D alongside traditional renal biomarkers could improve early detection and treatment of renal issues in diabetic patients.

Keywords

Diabetes mellitus Vitamin D deficiency Renal function Urea

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Copyright (c) 2026 Isam Nghaimesh Taeb

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