AUTHOR=Yuan Jian , Cai Jian , Zhao Pei , Zhao Nan , Hong Rong-Hua , Ding Jie , Yang Jin , Fan Qing-Lei , Zhu Jian , Zhou Xia-Jun , Li Ze-Zhi , Zhu De-Sheng , Guan Yang-Tai 

TITLE=Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Platelet Distribution Width in Acute Ischemic Stroke

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.631227

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2021.631227

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Objective: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a risk factor of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), however, whether LDL-C affects the platelet deformation function in the peripheral blood circulation and thus causes ischemic stroke is still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between LDL-C and platelet distribution width (PDW) in AIS patients.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional hospitalized-based study of consecutive 438 patients with AIS within 24 hours. Blood samples were collected upon admission and prior to drug administration, and LDL-C and PDW (a parameter that reflects the heterogeneity of platelet volume) were assessed. The relationship between LDL-C and PDW were analyzed by linear curve fitting analyses. Crude and adjusted beta coefficients of LDL-C for PDW with 95% confidence intervals were analyzed using multivariate-adjusted linear regression models.
Results: the PDW was significantly higher in high LDL-C group compared with those in normal LDL-C group (16.28±0.37 fL vs 16.08±0.37 fL, p<0.001). Adjusted smoothed plots suggested that there are linear relationships between LDL-C and PDW, and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (95%) was 0.387 (0.304-0.464, p<0.001). The beta coefficients (95% CI) between LDL-C and PDW were 0.15 (0.12-0.18, p<0.001), and 0.14 (0.11-0.18, p<0.001) respectively in AIS patients before and after adjusting for potential confounders.
Conclusion: Our study suggested that the elevated LDL-C level was related to increased PDW among AIS patients.