Platelet Indices and Coagulation Parameters in Patients With Complicated and Uncomplicated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Vascular complications are a major concern in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may be associated with changes in platelet activity and blood coagulation.This study assessed platelet indices and coagulation parameters in patients with complicated and uncomplicated T2DM.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 150 participants, equally divided into healthy controls, patients with uncomplicated T2DM, and patients with diabetic complications.Platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, and clotting time were assessed.Oneway analysis of variance, Welch's independent-samples t-test, and chi-square test were used for unadjusted comparisons, followed by covariate-adjusted analyses accounting for age across the three groups and for age and HbA1c between the two T2DM groups.Results: Patients with complicated T2DM had poorer glycemic control, with significantly higher fasting blood sugar, random blood sugar, and glycated hemoglobin levels than those without complications.They also had lower platelet counts and higher MPV, PDW, P-LCR, and coagulation parameters than patients with uncomplicated diabetes and healthy controls.However, exploratory subgroup analysis showed that these differences were not consistent across all individual vascular complications.Among microvascular complications, only PDW was significantly higher in patients with diabetic retinopathy.Among macrovascular complications, selected parameters differed in cerebrovascular disease, while more extensive differences were observed in coronary artery disease.Conclusion: Platelet indices and coagulation parameters were altered in patients with complicated type T2DM, although the pattern varied across individual complications.These routinely available tests may provide additional information on hemostatic changes in patients with T2DM when interpreted alongside other clinical findings.Further prospective studies are needed to determine their predictive or prognostic value in diabetic complications.