Haematological Profile of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Calabar, Nigeria.

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study is to identify the haematological profile of patients with diabetes.

Setting

The study was conducted at the Diabetes Clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.

Methods/Subject

The study subjects selected for this study consist of 50 type 2 diabetic patients and 25 healthy non-diabetic subjects acted as controls. They were matched for age and sex. The ages in both categories were comparable, the test being 45.2 ±12.3 years and the control 40.2±13.3 years. The hematocrit value (HCT), haemoglobin content, red blood cell count (RBCs) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) concentration with increased white blood cell counts (WBCs), mean erythrocyte haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), lymphocytes and neutrophils levels were performed.

Results

Hematological studies in the diabetic patients showed significantly lower HCT values, haemoglobin content, RBC count and MCV concentration than in the controls. Greater total WBC counts, MCHC concentrations, MCH, lymphocytes and neutrophils counts were observed in the patients than in the controls. The basophil count had a significantly higher value (p=0.033) in the test (0.03±0.02) than the control (0.01±0.01). Haemoglobin levels (11.9±2.2, p=0.001) and mean corpuscularhaemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (30.7±1.3,p=0.004) were significantly lower in the test group compared to controls (13.3±0.9, 32.6±1.1). No differences were found between platelet counts in the diabetic patients and the control.

Conclusion

There were significant changes in somehaematological parameters associated with Diabetes especially Haemoglobin, MCHC and basophil count identified in this study.