Comparison of red blood cell parameters in healthy and diabetic subjects

Abstract

Background: The International Diabetes Federation’s report indicates that globally, 537 million adults aged 20 to 79 have diabetes, with 206 million cases in the Western Pacific in 2021. Projections suggest this could rise to 238 million by 2030 and 260 million by 2045. In Mongolia, diabetes prevalence has surged from 3.2% in 1999 to 8.3% in 2020. Recent research highlights the importance of hematological parameters for diabetes control and vascular complication diagnosis. Persistent high blood sugar can alter red blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets, causing issues like glycosylation of hemoglobin. Aim: We aimed to compare red blood cell parameters in diabetic and healthy subjects. Materiald and Methods: A total of 156 participants, including 78 T2DM patients and matched healthy controls. The study participants were retrieved from the Mongolia-Japan University Hospital, following rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Complete blood count (CBC) parameters were measured using the XN2000 hematology autoanalyzer. Results: Significant differences in CBC parameters emerged between T2DM patients and healthy controls. T2DM patients exhibited elevated levels of RBC (5.13±0.43 vs. 4.87±0.41, p<0.001), hemoglobin (14.6±1.7 vs. 14.2±1.0, p=0.04), decrease levels of RDW (39.6±3.0 vs. 40.7±2.4, p=0.007) and MCV (83.9±4.4 vs. 85.5±4.6, p=0.014). Subsequent analysis revealed distinct profiles among T2DM patients with varying glycemic control. Those with poor control displayed lower red cell distribution width (RDW, 38.8±2.6 vs. 41.5±3.3, p<0.001) values and mean corpuscular volume (83.2±3.9 vs. 85.7±5.3, p=0.013). Conclusions: 1. When compared to healthy individuals, those with diabetes exhibit an elevated kemoglobin red blood cell count and decreased MCV and RDW. 2. Red blood cell distribution could potentially be linked to glycemic control in patients with diabetes.