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The relationship between platelet indices and clinical features of coronary artery disease
Ugur Turk1, Istemihan Tengiz, Emre Ozpelit
1Izmir University Faculty of Medicine. istemihantengiz@hotmail.com.
Insights
Platelet indices like MPV and PDW do not appear to correlate with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity or presentation. However, platelet count showed a positive association with CAD extent and age in patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hematology
Background:
- Platelets are crucial in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development.
- Platelet indices, including platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW), can indicate platelet activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between platelet indices and clinical characteristics of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 441 patients undergoing coronary angiography.
- Patients were categorized into stable angina, acute coronary syndrome, and normal angiogram groups.
- Platelet indices (count, MPV, PDW) were measured for all participants.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in platelet count, MPV, or PDW were observed across the clinical presentation groups.
- Platelet count positively correlated with Gensini scoring (CAD severity) and age in CAD patients.
- MPV and PDW showed no significant correlation with Gensini scoring in CAD patients.
Conclusions:
- MPV and PDW may not be reliable indicators of CAD clinical features, presentation, or extent.
- Study findings contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the role of platelet indices in CAD.
- Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to clarify the definitive role of platelet indices in CAD.
Background:
Platelets play a key role in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. The degree of platelet activation may be assessed by platelet indices such as platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW).
Aim:
To evaluate the relationship between platelet indices and clinical features of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods:
Our population is represented by a total of 441 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. Patients were divided into three groups according to their clinical presentation: Patients with stable angina (Group I), with acute coronary syndrome (Group II), and with a normal coronary angiogram (Group III). All demographic and clinical features were collected retrospectively. Platelet indices were measured in all patients.
Results:
There was no statistical difference for platelet count, MPV and PDW values among the groups. Correlation analysis showed a positive association between platelet count and Gensini scoring (Kendall's tau b, r = 0.312, p = 0.037, two-tailed)and also age (Kendall's tau b, r = 0.518, p = 0.001, two-tailed) in patients with CAD. However, there was no significant correlation between Gensini scoring and MPV or PDW values in these patients.
Conclusions:
PDW and MPV may not be related to the clinical features or presentation and extent of CAD. Our study findings add to the conflicting results of previous studies in this area. Prospective trials with longer follow-up periods and larger samples are warranted to conclusively define the role of platelet indices in CAD.
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