Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have a higher risk of developing micro- and macrovascular complications, which lead to decrease in the quality of life and increase in morbidity. Platelet indices have been available in the laboratory routine using blood cell counters for several years. These indices could alert us regarding endothelial dysfunction and in turn regarding the microvascular complications. Hence, this study was done to prove the correlation between platelet indices and microvascular complications in T2DM.
Materials and methods: In total, 125 diabetic patients attending diabetes OPD and admitted in medicine department along with age and sex-matched non-diabetic controls were studied. A detailed history was taken regarding duration of diabetes, medication, past history of stroke, IHD, and hypertension. Patients with T2DM were specially evaluated for microvascular complications. Platelet indices, fasting blood glucose, Post prandial blood glucose, HbA1C, and Sr. Creatinine were obtained from venous blood samples. All parameters were then subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS 17.0.
Results: Platelet indices, namely MPV, PCT, PDW, and P/LCR were significantly higher in diabetic individuals than those in age and gender-matched controls. Moreover, the increase in MPV, PDW, and P/LCR was more significant in diabetic subjects with microvascular complications when compared with those without microvascular complications. Platelet dysfunction also showed a positive association with HbA1C, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy individually.
Conclusions: Changes in platelet indices were found to be statistically associated with diabetes and its complications.
Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy; diabetic neuropathy; diabetic retinopathy; microvascular complications; platelet indices; type 2 diabetes mellitus.