Association of mean platelet volume with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: the Dongfeng–Tongji cohort study

BACKGROUND: Most of prior studies to demonstrate the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk were cross-sectional design with inconsistent results. In the present prospective cohort study, we aimed to explore the relationship between MPV and incident T2DM risk among a middle-aged and older Chinese population. METHODS: This prospective study included 14,009 individuals derived from the Dongfeng–Tongji cohort which was launched in 2008. A total of 997 incident T2DM patients were diagnosed during the mean 4.51 years of follow-up period. MPV levels were divided into quartiles. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of incident T2DM was estimated by Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Compared with study participants with MPV < 7.49 fL, the HRs of T2DM incidence were 1.39 (95% CI 1.11–1.75), 1.14 (0.90–1.44), and 1.39 (95% CI 1.07–1.81) in study participants with 7.49 ≤ MPV < 8.43 fL, 8.43 fL ≤ MPV < 9.69 fL and MPV ≥ 9.69 fL, respectively. This positive association was more pronounced after exclusion of the newly diagnosed incident cases during the first 2 years follow-up. Further adjustment for baseline fasting blood glucose level (FBG) did not materially alter the positive association. The positive association was particularly evident among females, non-current smokers and study participants with FBG level less than 5.6 mmol/L at baseline. CONCLUSION: Higher levels of MPV were independently associated with increased incident risk of T2DM in a middle-aged and older Chinese population. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13098-018-0333-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.