Platelet number is positively and independently associated with glycated hemoglobin in non-diabetic overweight and obese subjects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A significant increase in platelet count may be a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This study investigates the association between platelet number and glucose metabolism, evaluated by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, in a apparently healthy population represented by overweight and obese subjects with normal glucose and HbA1c levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: As many as 240 subjects, 177 women and 63 men, aged 18-70 years, were enrolled. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, platelet count and fasting blood glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, HbA1c, uric acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were evaluated. Concerning the univariate correlation analyses between platelets number and all other variables, platelet count was significantly (and positively) correlated only with HbA1c (P < 0.05) and female sex (P < 0.01). HbA1c (P < 0.05), female sex (P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01), positively, and age (P < 0.05) and systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), negatively, were significantly and independently associated to platelet count in a final multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: This is the first study showing a strong positive and independent relationship between HbA1c and platelet number in non-diabetic overweight and obese subjects.

Platelet number is negatively and independently associated with carotid intima-media thickness in apparently healthy overweight/obese subjects.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A significant change of platelet number may be a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between platelet number and early signs of atherosclerosis, evaluated by carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), in a apparently healthy population mainly represented by obese subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS: As many as 961 subjects, 686 women and 275 men, aged between 18 and 74 years, were enrolled in the study. Of these, 54 individuals (5.6% of all subjects) were normal weight, 259 individuals (27.0% of all subjects) were overweight, and 648 individuals (67.4% of all subjects) were obese. Waist circumference (WC) and blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet count were also detected in all subjects, who underwent carotid echo color doppler ultrasound to measure c-IMT. c-IMT was significantly and positively associated to age (r = 0.204, P < 0.0001), fasting glucose (r = 0.073, P < 0.0240), total cholesterol (r = 0.096, P = 0.0031), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.140, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.119, P < 0.0003 respectively); c-IMT was significantly and negatively correlated with platelet count (r = -0.165, P < 0.0001). Only age (P < 0.0001) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.0393), positively, and platelet number (P < 0.0001), negatively, were significantly and independently associated to c-IMT in a final multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Lower platelet number represented an independent determinant of c-IMT in a population, mainly represented by obese patients. These results suggest that a decrease of platelet number may well be an early defensive mechanism in subjects developing the thickening of carotid artery.