The correlation between serum calcium and asprosin in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in community

This study aims to investigate the association between serum calcium and asprosin levels in community-dwelling elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). It seeks to clarify the relationship between serum calcium and other metabolic indicators, as well as identify independent factors influencing serum calcium levels. The findings are intended to provide a foundation for elucidating the interactive mechanisms between calcium metabolism and adipokines.

A total of 321 elderly T2D patients aged ≥65 years were enrolled from November 2019 to July 2021 at the Zhuoma Community Health Service Station and Chengbei Xijie Community Health Service Center in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. General information including age, duration of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), etc., was collected. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), creatinine (CRE), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid (UA), and other biochemical indicators were measured. Serum asprosin levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) while serum calcium levels were assessed with an automatic biochemical analyzer. Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis was employed to evaluate associations between serum calcium and various indicators; multiple linear regression analysis was utilized to identify independent factors affecting serum calcium levels.

Serum asprosin levels increased progressively across serum calcium tertiles. Correlation analyses demonstrated statistically significant associations between serum calcium and HDL-C (r = 0.123), uric acid (r = 0.132), asprosin (r = 0.124), and creatinine (r = -0.113). In multivariable linear regression analysis, creatinine (standardized β = -0.179, p = 0.003) and asprosin (standardized β = 0.187, p = 0.002) remained independently associated with serum calcium levels. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive association between serum asprosin and total calcium (r = 0.214, P < 0.001). A similar positive correlation was observed between asprosin and albumin-corrected calcium (r = 0.170, P = 0.002).

Serum asprosin was independently associated with serum calcium levels in elderly patients with T2D, suggesting a potential link between calcium homeostasis and adipokine regulation. Further longitudinal and mechanistic studies may help elucidate the clinical and biological implications of this relationship.