Sex differences in the relationship between platelet count and type 2 diabetes risk in community-dwelling adults: Longitudinal findings over 14 years.

AIMS: Emerging evidence suggests that platelet count predicts the development of type 2 diabetes, however, there is conflicting evidence concerning the relationship in men and women. This study aimed to assess the longitudinal association between platelet count and incidence risk of type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 10,030 total participants, 7,325 participants (3,439 men and 3,886 women) without diabetes were selected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Platelet count quartiles were divided as follows: Q1 ≤219, Q2, 220-254, Q3, 255-296 and Q4 ≥297 (x103 /ml) for men and ≤232, 233-266, 267-305 and ≥306 (x103 /μL) for women. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for incident type 2 diabetes were calculated using multiple Cox proportional hazards regression models according to sex-specific platelet count quartiles.

RESULTS: During the biennial follow-up period from 2001-2002 to 2013-2014, 750 male participants (21.8%, 750/3,439) and 730 female participants (18.8 %, 730/3,886) had newly developed type 2 diabetes. For women, compared to the reference first quartile, the HRs for incident type 2 diabetes in the second, third, and fourth platelet count quartiles were 1.20 (0.96-1.50), 1.21(0.97-1.51), and 1.47 (1.18-1.82) after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity, mean arterial blood pressure, family history of diabetes, and HOMA-IR. However, these positive relationships were not observed in men after adjusting for the same co-variables.

CONCLUSIONS: Platelet count was independently associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes only in women. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.