Correlation between Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) as a Prognostic Biomarker for Diabetic Nephropathy Patients in a South Indian Hospital

Context: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, capable of leading to end-stage renal disease. Diabetic nephropathy could only be identified through renal biopsy testing, which is expensive and can impose a financial burden on patients. Therefore, there is a necessity to develop a cost-effective method for identifying diabetic nephropathy.

Aim: To evaluate the correlation between RBC parameters, such as RDW and MCV values, as prognostic biomarkers for patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Methods and Material:

Study Design: Prospective comparative study.

Study Site: Sudha Institute of Medical Science, Erode.

Study Duration: Study was carried out over six-months.

Sample Size: 101 diabetic nephropathy patients and 101 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Statistical Analysis: Pearson correlation.

Results: The majority of diabetic nephropathy patients were 40 years old or older, and most of them were males. Among the study participants, a significant number of male participants had habits of smoking and alcohol consumption. The duration of diabetes and BMI exhibited a strong correlation with the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, there were notable increases in urea, creatinine, FBS, RBS, PPBS, and HbA1C, alongside a decrease in MCV and eGFR as diabetic nephropathy progressed.

Conclusions: Our research indicates a positive correlation between RDW and HbA1c, FBS, RBS, PPBS, urea, and creatinine. In contrast, negative correlation of RDW with MCV and eGFR. MCV is negatively correlated with HbA1c, FBS, RBS, PPBS, urea, creatinine. In contrast, positive correlation between MCV and eGFR.