Assessment of Platelet Indices and Its Predictive Value in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Adult Patients Attending At Bishoftu General Hospital, Central of Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic syndrome that is becoming a global public health problem with enormous morbidity and mortality. It is a pro-inflammatory and pro thrombotic ailment characterized by increased platelet activation and alteration of platelet indices. However, the tendency to use platelet indices as predictors of poor glucoregulation is not fully evaluated in our context, and evidence forthe role of platelet indices as predictor of poor glycemic statusin diabetic patients also limited. Objective: To assess platelet indices and to determine the predictive value of PLT indices for poor glucoregulation in type 2 diabetic patients at Bishoftu General Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 261 participants (174 T2DM and 87 non-diabetic controls) from June 15 to Aug 12, 2022, and the systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, physical measurements, checklists, and laboratory tests. Platelet parameters and fasting blood glucose levels were determined from blood samples using Sysm ex-XN550 and CobasC311 analyzers, respectively. Hematology analyzer output was checked and participants were also screened for malaria parasites using a prepared blood smear. Collected data were entered into Epi-data 3.1 version and exported to SPSS-25 version for analysis. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Post hoc test, spearman correlation, and ROC curve were used for analysis. A P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our data showed that PDW, MPV, PLCR, and PCT values were significantly increased in diabetic patientsthan in healthy controls (p<0.001). Moreover, these indices were significantly elevated in poor glycemic control T2DM than in good control T2DM and healthy controls. Significant correlations with anthropometric and clinical variables was also noted. The PDW at a cut-off value 15.75fl with AUC 0.803; MPV at a cut-off value 12.25fl with AUC 0.774; PLCR at a cut-off value 36.3% with AUC 0.775; and PCT at a cut-off value 0.24% with AUC 0.761; have been identified as predictors of poor glycemic in diabetes mellitus patients. Conclusions and Recommendation: A significant increase in the platelet indices in diabetic patients and their role in predicting poor glycemic in diabetes have been observed. Therefore, regular screening and platelet indices profile checks are recommended during DM follow-up.