Evaluation of Fibrinogen Level among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type2

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome characteriezed by chronic hyperglycemia and relative insulin deficiency, resistance, or both. Its complication result in major health costs. These include macrovascular disease, leading to coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke; microvascular damage causing diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy, and contributing to diabetic neuropathy. Haemostatic factors especially hyperfibrinogenemia is implicated as a source of these complications. This study aimed to estimate the fibrinogen level and its association with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

A total of 70 type2 diabetic patients were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Two blood samples were collected from each participant; one for fibrinogen estimation in tri- sodium citrate anticoagulant container (1.8 ml venous blood) and the other for Hb A1c estimation (2.5 ml) in EDTA container. Fibrinogen level was measured by Clauss method and Hb A1c was measured using Clover*A1c system which is a fully automated boronate affinity assay for the determination of the percentage of hemoglobin A1c in whole blood.

Patient’s data were collected using structured interview questionnaire; age of study population was ranged from 30-82 years. 54.3% were females and 46.7% were males. The duration of disease among patients was ranged from 5-30 years. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 14.

Mean fibrinogen level was slightly higher than normal (Mean±SD=469±91.3 mg/dl); 60% of patients were found to have hyperfibrinogenemia and 40% with normal fibrinogen level.

There was no statistically significant difference in mean fibrinogen level in patients with good and those with bad control (P. value=0.76).

No statistically significant correlation was found between fibrinogen level and Hb A1c (r =0.1, P.value = 0.30), and age (r=0.3, P.value=0.3); while there was positivestatistically significant correlation between fibrinogen level and duration of DM (r = 0.2, p. value = 0.03).

No statistically significant associationbetween fibrinogen level and complications (P.value=0.38).

The results showed that, there was a statistically significant higher mean fibrinogen level in femalescompared tomales (Mean±SD= 490±83.3 and442±94.7 mg/dl respectively,P. value=0.02). In conclusion, although, there was a significant correlation between duration of DM and fibrinogen level but no association was found between glycemic control and fibrinogen level.