Mean Platelet Volume as a Marker of Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Platelet activation contributes significantly to the development of vascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Mean platelet volume (MPV), a routinely available hematological parameter, reflects platelet size and activity and has been proposed as a simple marker of platelet activation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between MPV and glycemic control in patients with T2DM.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine at Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar, India, from January 2022 to June 2023. One hundred patients with confirmed T2DM were enrolled. Clinical details, fasting blood glucose (FBS), postprandial blood glucose (PPBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and complete blood counts including MPV were recorded. Correlations between MPV and glycemic parameters were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Comparisons between glycemic control groups were performed using Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The study population had a mean age of 51.7 ± 9.7 years, with females constituting 57% of participants. The mean HbA1c and MPV were 8.6 ± 1.8% and 8.27 ± 1.05 fL, respectively. MPV showed significant positive correlations with HbA1c (r=0.591, p<0.001), PPBS (r=0.349, p<0.001), FBS (r=0.239, p=0.017), and duration of diabetes (r=0.493, p<0.001). Mean MPV increased progressively with worsening glycemic control, from 7.29 ± 0.80 fL in patients with HbA1c <7% to 8.75 ± 0.99 fL in those with HbA1c >8% (p<0.001). No significant associations were observed between MPV and age, sex, or body mass index.

Conclusion: Mean platelet volume is significantly associated with poor glycemic control and longer duration of diabetes in patients with T2DM. As an inexpensive and routinely available laboratory parameter, MPV may serve as a useful adjunctive marker for identifying patients at increased risk of platelet activation and vascular complications. Larger prospective multicenter studies are warranted to validate its prognostic utility.