Mean Platelet Volume Is Closely Associated With Serum Glucose Level but Not With Arterial Stiffness and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been suggested as a predictive biomarker for cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the association between MPV and subclinical atherosclerosis in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes. This cross-sectional study involved 1205 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Both brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity measurements and an ultrasound assessment of carotid atherosclerosis were done. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by the presence of high brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (>1743 cm/sec), carotid atherosclerosis (intima-media thickness > 0.8 mm or the presence of plaques), and carotid stenosis (≥50% of luminal narrowing). The subjects were stratified into quartiles according to MPV, and the relationship between MPV and subclinical atherosclerosis was analyzed. High MPV quartiles were linearly associated with fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin but not with diabetic duration or insulin resistance. The prevalence of high pulse wave velocity, carotid atherosclerosis, and carotid stenosis did not differ between the quartiles in men and women. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed no association between MPV and high pulse wave velocity, carotid atherosclerosis, and carotid stenosis. MPV was strongly associated with the severity of glycemic control but not significantly associated with the early and late stages of atherosclerotic vascular changes in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Our results suggest that MPV is not a reliable marker for subclinical atherosclerosis in a diabetic population. This is possibly confounded by the close association of MPV with poor glycemic control. Further research is needed to broaden and validate the results.