Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by quartiles of red blood cell count (×1012/L)
| 1st quartile (1.41–4.07) | 2nd quartile (4.08–4.43) | 3rd quartile (4.44–4.83) | 4th quartile (4.84–6.44) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 92 | 92 | 92 | 93 | |
| Male (%) | 41 (44.6) | 32 (34.8) | 53 (57.6) | 78 (55.3) | <0.001 |
| Smokers (%) | 23 (25.0) | 12 (13.0) | 27 (29.3) | 40 (43.1) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol consumption (%) | 14 (20.0) | 12 (13.0) | 23 (25.0) | 29 (31.2) | 0.007 |
| Age (years) | 62.2 ± 12.6 | 59.3 ± 12.4 | 55.7 ± 12.6 | 47.5 ± 12.4 | <0.001 |
| Disease duration (years) | 10.0 (6.0–17.5) | 8.5 (3.3–15.0) | 7.0 (2.0–12.0) | 6.0 (1.0–9.0) | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.2 ± 3.9 | 25.5 ± 4.1 | 26.0 ± 3.4 | 26.6 ± 3.8 | 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 140 (130–160) | 130 (120–140) | 130 (120–140) | 130 (120–140) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 80 (70–90) | 80 (71–86) | 80 (75–95) | 80 (79–90) | 0.017 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 6.41 (5.30–9.75) | 8.09 (6.48–10.94) | 8.39 (6.90–11.54) | 9.58 (7.36–12.52) | <0.001 |
| HbA1c (%) | 7.20 (5.30–9.75) | 7.90 (6.48–10.94) | 8.20 (6.90–11.54) | 8.60 (7.36–12.52) | <0.001 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.72 (2.17–3.59) | 3.26 (2.50–3.78) | 2.92 (2.43–3.64) | 2.96 (2.38–3.59) | 0.276 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.12 (2.17–3.59) | 1.10 (2.50–3.78) | 1.08 (2.43–3.64) | 0.99 (2.38–3.59) | 0.043 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.58 (3.80–5.80) | 5.02 (4.18–5.67) | 4.57 (3.94–5.66) | 4.74 (4.22–5.39) | 0.394 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1.24 (0.93–1.84) | 1.62 (1.01–2.40) | 1.60 (1.13–2.70) | 1.98 (1.26–3.13) | <0.001 |
| WBC count (109/L) | 6.8 (5.6–8.0) | 6.1 (5.5–7.1) | 6.6 (5.6–7.9) | 7.1 (5.9–8.8) | 0.014 |
| Hemoglobin (g/L) | 111.5 (97.3–119) | 128.5 (125.0–135.0) | 139.0 (135.0–145.0) | 153.0 (147.0–159.0) | <0.001 |
| RDW (%) | 43 (41–46) | 42 (40–42) | 41 (40–43) | 40 (38–41) | <0.001 |
| Platelets (109/L) | 224.4 ± 76.8 | 216.0 ± 66.6 | 218.5 ± 57.1 | 213.6 ± 52.3 | 0.700 |
| Antihypertensive drug (%) | 46 (50.0) | 39 (42.4) | 37 (40.2) | 21 (22.6) | 0.001 |
| Antidyslipidemic drug (%) | 4 (4.3) | 1 (1.1) | 3 (3.3) | 2 (2.2) | 0.558 |
| Antidiabetic drug (%) | 79 (84.0) | 82 (89.1) | 77 (83.7) | 73 (78.5) | 0.277 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; WBC, white blood cell; RDW, red blood cell distribution width.