Comparison of fibrinogen levels in diabetic hypertensives vs diabetic normotensives

Abstract

Background: The metabolic dysregulation associated with DM causes secondary pathophysiological changes in multiple organ systems that impose a tremendous burden on the individual with diabetes and on the health care system. Aim: To compare plasma fibrinogen levels in type-2 diabetics with hypertension and type-2 diabetics without hypertension. Methods: Prospective observational study was undertaken on 200 subjects aged 40-60 years from November 2019 to October 2020 with patients of Type-2 diabetes mellitus (both old and new cases) with hypertension without having any of the complications associated with diabetes and on age and sex matched diabetics without hypertension. Results: Mean value of fibrinogen of Group 1 was 484.91 ± 49.15 mg/dl and that of Group 2 was 436.53 ± 22.61 mg/dl, the difference between the two groups being statistically highly significant (p<0.0001). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Group 1 was 127.64 ± 13.41 and 86.20 ± 7.06 mmHg and that of Group 2 was 118 ± 10.80 and 77.52 ± 7.87 mmHg, the difference between the two groups being statistically highly significant (p<0.0001). Mean Fasting Blood sugar of Group 1 was 177.91 ± 62.52 mg/dl and that of Group 2 was 197.80 ± 74.75 mg/dl, the difference being highly statistically significant (p= 0.043). Conclusion: The mean fibrinogen levels in patients with both diabetes and hypertension were significantly higher than diabetes alone, indicating that elevated fibrinogen levels are a risk factor for development of macrovascular complications and thus a marker of morbidity and mortality.