Assessment of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume values in patients with diabetes mellitus diagnosis: A case–control study

Diabetes mellitus, fundamentally characterized by hyperglycemia, leads to significant metabolic disturbances. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic, inflammatory, preventable metabolic disease that is a significant health issue globally. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an essential marker of systemic inflammation. We aimed to reveal the relationship between long-term glucose control and NLR, mean platelet volume (MPV), and red blood cell width in patients with type 2 diabetes. This was a retrospective case-control study. A total of 3532 applications in 2 years time were identified. Age, gender, medical history, white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), MPV, red blood cell width, NLR, hematocrit, platelet, C-reactive protein, Haemoglobin A1C data of the patients were analyzed. 1790 patients were included. A significant positive correlation was found between HbA1c and age, white blood cell, hematocrit, MCV, red blood cell width, NLR, and CRP. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between HbA1c and MCV. The results showed statistically significant differences between NLR, MPV, WBC, MCV, age, and HbA1c levels. Increased HbA1c levels are usually associated with an increase in these parameters. This is important for determining the risk of complications and protecting target organs in diabetic patients. A significant decrease in MCV levels was found as HbA1c levels increased. This suggests that evaluating red blood cells in routine controls of diabetic patients may indicate glycemic control. These findings may be valuable in early diagnosis of complications.