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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether blood count parameters differ according to the stages of Fontaine's classification and to investigate the relationship between hemogram parameters and the severity of the disease. METHOD: Eighty-two peripheral arterial disease patients were examined prospectively. Patients were classified according to the Fontaine classification system. Fifty newly diagnosed patients were included in the study. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume, and red blood cell distribution width values were recorded. RESULTS: Mean neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio values were found to be 3.31 ± 1.1% in Stage I, 3.11 ± 1.3% in Stage II, and 3.48 ± 1.1% in Stage III (p > 0.05). Mean platelet volume values were found to be 7.8 ± 0.6 fl (Stage I), 8.2 ± 1.0 fl (Stage II), and 9.0 ± 0.9 fl (Stage III) (p < 0.05). Red blood cell distribution width values were found to be 13.6 ± 1.0% in Stage I, 14.8 ± 1.7% in Stage II, and 15.4 ± 2.3% in Stage III, being significantly different among all three stages (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both red blood cell distribution width and mean platelet volume are found to be associated with the severity of atherosclerotic disease in patients with peripheral arterial disease. This finding hypothesizes that complete blood counting parameters may serve as a beneficial and cost-effective method for monitoring atherosclerotic peripheral disease.
Demirtaş et al. (Wed,) studied this question.