The utility of simple biomarkers of inflammation in the diagnosis of dyslipidaemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Ho municipality: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with dyslipidaemia and exaggerated immune response with high morbidity and mortality. However, the capacity of inflammatory indicators to detect dyslipidaemia in T2DM is not fully explored. To assess the predictive ability of simple biomarkers of inflammation in the diagnosis of dyslipidaemia among patients with T2DM in Ho. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 193 patients conveniently recruited at the Ho Municipal Hospital. A questionnaire was administered to gather socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical data. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained for full blood count, glucose and lipid assays. Cell line ratios reflecting various inflammation pathways were calculated. Dyslipidaemia was defined using National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The diagnostic value of biomarkers were assessed based on logistic regression and area the under curve (AUC) analyses. The overall prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 167 (86.5%; 95% CI: 81.0–90.6). A unit change in total white blood cell count was associated with 2.073 odds of developing dyslipidaemia (OR: 2.073: 95% CI: 1.037–4.144; p = 0.039) after adjustment for confounders. Total WBC count alone showed modest predictive value for dyslipidaemia (AUROC: 0.64: 95% CI: 0.57–0.7; p = 0.0195), but combining it with other parameters improved their performances significantly with AUCs ranging from 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72–0.94: p < 0.001) for dyslipidaemia to 0.69 (95% CI: 0.21–1.00; p) for coronary risk ratio. Dyslipidaemia was highly prevalent. While total WBC count showed modest predictive value, its utility improved significantly when combined with other haematological parameters.