Hematological and Metabolic Alterations Across Glycemic Categories in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with alterations in several hematological parameters, besides having metabolic disorders that may be associated with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Aim: This study aimed to assess differences in hematological and metabolic parameter variations in T2DM patients across different glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and to examine the relationship between HbA1c levels and specific metabolic and hematological markers.

Materials and Methods: The conducted among 80 participants, including 20 healthy controls and 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The diabetic participants were categorized according to HbA1c levels into three groups: 6.6–7.0%, 7.1–9.0%, and >9.1%, with 20 participants in each group. BMI, lipid profile parameters, and selected hematological indices were assessed and analyzed statistically.

Results: All variables showed significant differences between the patient and control groups (p < 0.001). HbA1c differed significantly among the four groups (p < 0.001). Metabolic profile: BMI, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C increased significantly with increased HbA1c; HDL-C decreased in the same way (p < 0.001). Hematological parameters differed significantly in RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCH, and MCHC (p < 0.001). Compared with controls, diabetic groups generally exhibited lower RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and MCH, whereas MCHC increased progressively with HbA1c. Most pairwise comparisons were significant, although some differences in RBC count, hemoglobin, and MCH were not significant between selected groups. Increasing HbA1c levels were associated with significant metabolic and hematological alterations in T2DM.

Conclusion: These findings show that hematological and metabolic parameters varied across increasing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) groups in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with changes in lipid profile and hematological indices, mainly increased total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, along with lower HDL-C and hemoglobin-related parameters.