Relationship Between Random Blood Glucose, HbA1c Levels, and Microvascular Complications Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a high burden of microvascular complications. HbA1c reflects longer-term glycemic exposure, whereas random blood glucose (RBG) provides information on contemporaneous glycemia. Evidence regarding the association of these two measures with microvascular complications in Indonesian clinical settings remains limited. This study aimed to determine the association between RBG and HbA1c levels and microvascular complications among patients with T2DM.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kenanga 1 Medical Inpatient Ward and Internal Medicine Clinic of Arifin Achmad Regional General Hospital, Pekanbaru, Indonesia, beginning in March 2025. A total of 57 patients with T2DM were selected using purposive sampling. RBG and HbA1c data were obtained from medical records, while information on microvascular complications was obtained from available clinical records and questionnaires. Associations between glycemic parameters and microvascular complications were analyzed using the Chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Of the 57 respondents, 22 (38.6%) had hyperglycemia based on RBG, while 24 (42.1%) had uncontrolled HbA1c levels. Thirty-one respondents (54.4%) had one microvascular complication, and 26 (45.6%) had more than one complication. RBG levels were significantly associated with microvascular complications (p = 0.009). HbA1c levels were also significantly associated with microvascular complications (p = 0.016).

Conclusion: Elevated RBG and uncontrolled HbA1c levels were significantly associated with the presence of microvascular complications among patients with T2DM. Because of the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Further studies with larger samples and multivariable analysis are warranted.

Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Microvascular Complications, Random Blood Sugar, HbA1c.