Abstract Background: Studies of routine blood markers and diabetic retinopathy often adjust for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), although albuminuria captures a different aspect of kidney damage. We compared these associations under eGFR and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) adjustment. Methods: We analyzed 8,159 adults hospitalized with type 2 diabetes from January 2020 to March 2026. Primary exposures were serum albumin, total bilirubin, fibrinogen and the FIB-4 index.
