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=12

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=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is an established risk factor for ischemic stroke; however, whether LDL-C affects the platelet deformation function in the peripheral blood circulation in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between LDL-C and platelet distribution width (PDW) in AIS patients.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We conducted a cross-sectional hospitalized-based study of consecutive 438 patients with AIS within 24 h. 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.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The PDW was significantly higher in the high LDL-C group compared with those in the normal LDL-C group (16.28 ± 0.37 fl vs. 16.08 ± 0.37 fl, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 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, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). The beta coefficients (95% CI) between LDL-C and PDW were 0.15 (0.12–0.18, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and 0.14 (0.11–0.18, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), respectively, in AIS patients before and after adjusting for potential confounders.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our study suggested that the elevated LDL-C level was related to increased PDW among AIS patients.</p>