Affiliation:
1. Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi,
Pakistan
2. Hematology and Oncology, USMD Hospital at Arlington, Arlington,
USA
Abstract
AbstractThis systematic review and meta-analysis aim to establish associations between
metabolic syndrome (MetS) and erythrocyte and platelet markers, contributing to
improved diagnostic tests for identifying individuals at risk. Observational
studies and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were included. The standardized
mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of erythrocyte
and platelet markers between individuals with and without MetS were used as
effect size (inverse variance model). Methodological quality assessment was
conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) for observational studies and
the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0 for RCTs. The analysis included 51 articles.
Compared to controls, individuals with MetS exhibited significantly higher
concentrations of mean red blood cell count [Standardized Mean Difference
(95% CI): 0.15 (0.13−0.18); p<0.00001], hemoglobin [0.24
(0.18−0.31); p<0.00001], blood platelet count [5.49
(2.78–8.20); p<0.0001], and red blood cell distribution width
[(0.55 (0.05–1.04); p=0.03]. Regarding mean platelet volume
[0.16 (– 0.03 to 0.35); p=0.10] and
platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) [7.48 (–2.85–17.81);
p=0.16], a non-significant difference was observed in patients with
MetS. There was no statistically significant difference in hematocrit counts
between the two groups [0.47 (–0.40 to –1.34); p=0.29].
Biomarkers such as mean red blood cell count, hemoglobin, blood platelet count,
and RDW are associated with higher levels in patients in MetS, whereas mean
platelet volume and PLR tend to be lower. These markers can potentially provide
new avenues for early diagnosis of MetS.