Platelet Parameters Were Associated with Osteoporosis among Elderly Chinese Populations

Objective: Hematological changes related to osteoporosis in elderly people are largely unknown. Our aim was to systemically evaluate the associations between platelet parameters and osteoporosis in two large elderly Chinese populations. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,982 (Sample 1) and 3,675 (Sample 2) participants selected from our ongoing cohort study: Osteoporosis Preventive Project (OPP). The platelet parameters were measured by a Mindray automatic blood cell analyzer. Platelet parameters include platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT). Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with Hologic densitometers (Hologic Inc., USA). We performed the chi-squared test, the Kruskal–Wallis rank test, Spearman correlation analysis, and partial correlation analysis to detect the associations between platelet parameters and bone mineral density. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 25.0), with a significance level set at P<0.05. Results: Among the three groups categorized by lumber spine (LS) BMD, PLT, PDW, and PCT were significantly different among the three groups. These results were consistent and replicated in the two samples (P<0.05). Similarly, significant differences only for PLT (P=0.003) and PCT (P=0.004) were observed in Sample 2 among the three groups categorized by femoral neck (FN) BMD. Further in-depth intergroup difference tests also found the differences still existed among the subgroups. The associations are negative for PLT and PCT, but positive for PDW with LS BMD and FN BMD (P<0.01) in both samples when unadjusted. Conclusion: The results suggest that three parameters (PLT, PDW and PCT) have significant correlations with BMD. This study increased our understanding of their relationship and probably provides a valuable reference for future studies on the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of osteoporosis.