Associations between urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin excretion and diabetic vascular complications or arteriosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes

Aims/Introduction There are limited reports on the association between melatonin levels and vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the association between urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin, which is a urinary metabolite of melatonin, and diabetic vascular complications or arteriosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients (167 patients with type 2 diabetes and 27 patients without diabetes adjusted for age and sex) admitted to the hospital who underwent measurement of urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin. The urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin/creatinine ratio (6‐SMT) was calculated. Results The natural logarithmically scaled 6‐SMT level (Ln 6‐SMT) was significantly lower in type 2 diabetes patients (1.9 ± 1.1) compared with patients without diabetes (2.8 ± 1.0, P