Differences in platelet indices between type-2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without microvascular complications at Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya

Abstract

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a greater amount of morbidity and mortality due to microvascular and macrovascular complications. Involvement of platelets in vascular complications of diabetes is well known and changes in platelet indices have been identified as predictors of these vascular complications. This study was carried out to determine the changes in platelet indices in patients with T2DM. This was a comparative cross sectional study conducted at Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya. Study subjects included T2DM patients with microvascular complications as study group and T2DM patients without any vascular compli-cations as comparison group. For each group age and sex matched 52 subjects were recruited. Subjects with microvascular complications had mean platelet volume (MPV) of 10.62±0.49fL, platelet distribution width (PDW) of 12.23±1.12fL, plateletcrit (PCT) of 0.28±0.05% and platelet large cell ratio (PLCR) of 29.44±4. Subjects without any vascular complications had MPV of 9.38±0.40fL, PDW of 9.9±1.14fL, PCT of 0.26±0.05% and PLCR of 19.67±3.1. Values of MPV, PDW and PLCR were significantly higher in patients with diabetic microvascular complications (p<.001). There was no significant difference in PCT between the two groups. In comparison of platelet indices according to glycemic control, a significantly higher MPV, PDW and PLCR values were observed in patients with HbA1c of >7% (p<.001). A significant association was present among the MPV, PDW and PLCR values when fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was > 130mg/dL (p<.001). There was a direct relation-ship with abnormal platelet indices and microvas-cular complications of T2DM. Further studies are recommended to ascertain causative relationship of changes in platelet indices and diabetic microvascular complications.