Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and its relation to microvascular complication in geriatric patients with diabetes: a case-controlled study

Abstract

Abstract Background Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defective insulin secretion, defective insulin action, or both. Chronic hyperglycemia related to diabetes can lead to end-organ dysfunction or failure, and changes related to diabetes involving arterioles and capillaries are responsible for long-term microvascular complications in diabetic patients. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel, simple, and inexpensive marker of subclinical inflammation. Aim of work To evaluate the possibility that neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could be used as a predictor of microvascular complications during follow-up of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients and methods Sixty elderly diabetes patients ≥ 65 years old, diagnosed 16 according to ADA criteria, were collected from the endocrine clinic in Kasr El-Ainy Hospital. For every patient, full history and examination were done (including 18 neurological and fundus examinations). Labs (CBC with a differential in blood and 19 albumin/creatinine ratio in urine) were done and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. Results We found that NLR has a statistically significant difference in the detection of nephropathy and retinopathy. There is a significant correlation between nephropathy and NL ratio in all patients (r = 0.44, P < 0.001). Elderly diabetic patients (with or without hypertension) with microvascular complications had a higher NLR value than those without complications. Conclusion NLR value can be used as a non-invasive simple marker for predicting microvascular complications in elderly diabetics with/without hypertension.