Jemy Adalin R¹,
Vinodha R²,
Shanmugapriya C³,
¹Postgraduate,
²Professor and Head,
³Senior Assistant professor
Department of Physiology,
Thanjavur Medical College,
Thanjavur,
Tamil Nadu

Abstract

• Background: Diabetic individuals have a greater risk for vascular diseases. Atherothrombosis are noted in diabetes which includes increased atherosclerosis, coagulopathy, and platelet reactivity. Platelet count and Platelet distribution width being considered as the best markers for thrombotic potentials and are used as indicators for vascular complications in diabetes. Our aim was to explore the association between platelet indices and blood sugar levels in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in comparison with controls. Earlier prediction of microvascular events using platelet indices and preventing complications is the purpose of this study.
• Materials and Methods: This cross -sectional study was conducted among patients from a district hospital after obtaining consent. Ethical committee clearance was obtained. Our study included 80 subjects of both sexes, 40 diabetics and 40 non-diabetics from the age group of 25 years and above. Subjects who were severely ill, on dialysis, with malignancies, liver pathologies, hematological disorders, acute or chronic infection, on drugs, pregnant/menstruating women, smokers and alcoholics were excluded from the study. The platelet count, Platelet distribution width (PDW), Mean Platelet volume (MPV) of the subjects were done and their fasting blood sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood sugar (PPBS) and HbA1c were determined. Statistical Analysis was done using student t -test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (SPSS system version 15.0).
• Results: In diabetic individuals there is significant increase in PDW and MPV with rise in blood sugar levels whereas there is no such change among control groups. Weak correlation was found between FBS with MPV among cases.
• Conclusion: This study provided a glimpse that platelet indices which are cost effective can be
  used as best early predictors of thrombotic events in diabetic individuals thereby preventing complications..

Keywords: diabetes, fasting blood sugar, mean platelet volume, platelet count