Anthropometric indices assessed in the study.

BackgroundDiabetic nephropathy is a serious microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus, yet the sex-specific relationship between visceral adiposity and renal dysfunction remains insufficiently explored in Chinese populations.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between visceral adiposity indices and renal dysfunction in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, emphasizing this population’s unique risk profile and the clinical utility of composite adiposity measures.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 1,335 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The primary outcome variable was renal dysfunction, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ResultsThe study population (median age: 54 years; 67.04% male) demonstrated distinct characteristics between estimated glomerular filtration rate groups. The estimated glomerular filtration rate decline group exhibited significantly higher age, blood pressure, and fasting glucose compared to the normal group (all p ConclusionVisceral adiposity index showed strong and consistent associations with renal dysfunction specifically in Chinese male T2DM patients, while female associations were primarily mediated through confounding pathways. These findings highlight critical sex-specific differences and support the integration of composite visceral adiposity indices into routine clinical assessment for male diabetic patients, emphasizing the necessity of population-specific and gender-tailored approaches in renal risk stratification.