Background: Stroke is one of the most common causes of adult mortality. With changes in lifestyle, the increase in risk factors is leading to an increase in the number of cases. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with an increase in platelet size and hence increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of platelet adhesion molecules and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa. Researchers have reported that increased MPV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care medical center. All patients aged >45 presenting to the emergency department with a confirmed diagnosis of stroke either ischemic or hemorrhagic via CT imaging during the duration were included in the study. All patients underwent basic investigations such as complete blood work, metabolic profile, and urine analysis.
Results: The study consisted of 340 patients of which 71% (n= 242) were males (71%) while 29 % (n=98) were females. Diabetes mellitus type 2 alone was present in 12.3% (n=42) patients, hypertension alone was present in 16.7% (n=57) whereas diabetes mellitus and hypertension both were present in 70% (n=241) of our study subjects. Of patients with stroke, 44% (n=150) had ischemic stroke whereas 56% (n=190) had a hemorrhagic stroke). The mean MPV in patients with ischemic stroke was 11.9+- 1.52 femtoliters while in patients with hemorrhagic stroke it was 12.5+-0.97 femtoliters.
Conclusions: MPV is an important marker of inflammation and is increased in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Patients with risk factors for stroke such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking having raised MPV should be followed closely because they are at increased risk of having major cardiovascular events.