Haematological and coagulation parameters in newly diagnosed systemic hypertensive patients: A comparative study of elevated vs. normal CRP level

Systemic hypertension is progressively acknowledged as not just a cardiovascular condition but also one associated with systemic inflammation. In recent years, growing evidence has suggested an intricate relationship between inflammation and haematological and coagulatory parameters in systemic hypertension. Among the biomarkers of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) has gathered significant attention due to its predictive value in cardiovascular diseases. However, it remains enigmatic whether elevated CRP is responsible for the alteration in haematological and coagulatory parameters in hypertension or not. Understanding these differences is critical for elucidating the role of inflammation in hypertension-associated haematological and coagulatory abnormalities. A total of 160 NDHTN were serially recruited from the Cardiac clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho between May to December 2024. Medical and socio-demographic data of the participants were gathered via questionnaire, interview and retrieval from their folders. About 7 mL of blood was collected for the evaluation of haematology, coagulatory, and inflammatory biomarkers using standard procedure. The participants were categorized into two; elevated CRP; NDHTN+eCRP (n = 148) and normal CRP, NDHTN+nCRP (n = 12). Continuous and categorical data were expressed in mean standard deviation and percent respectively. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.1. Significant elevation in lymphocytes, IL-6, triglyceride and total cholesterol (p < 0.005) in NDHTN+eCRP. On the other hand, neutrophil and neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio was significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in NDHTN+nCRP. The findings emphasize the role of inflammation and lipid abnormalities in NDHTN, particularly in individuals with elevated CRP. CRP is not associated with significant haematology and coagulatory changes.