The association between mean platelet volume and cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) correlates with platelet activation and has recently emerged as a potential marker of cardiovascular diseases. Previous publications also suggest possible association between MPV and some cardiovascular risk factors but the evidences are still conflicting and inconclusive.

Objective: To study the association between MPV and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the second survey of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) cohort. All participants of the survey who had results of MPV were included. Exclusion criteria included subjects with known hematologic disease or subjects with hematocrit <30% or platelet count <140,000/mm(3). The details of cardiovascular risk factors were documented and the association between MPV and risk factors was analyzed using fractional polynomial regression analysis.

Results: There were 2727 subjects with MPV results. After excluding those who had hematologic disease, 2642 subjects were included for analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that gender, diabetes, serum triglyceride, hypertension, and prehypertension were associated with MPV. Hematocrit, platelet count and fasting plasma glucose were inversely correlated with MPV. After adjusting with other variables, the risk factors that remained significantly associated with MPV included female gender, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, serum triglyceride, hypertension, and prehypertension. Platelet count and hematocrit were found to have significant inverse correlation with MPV.

Conclusion: After adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors, the independent factors remain associated with MPV included female gender, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, serum triglyceride, hypertension and prehypertension. MPV has significant, but inverse association with platelet count and hematocrit.