Aggregation ability of platelets in hypertensive patients with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Background. Activation of platelets and their aggregation are central processes in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease. The relationship between mortality and cardiovascular morbidity varies depending on the presence of other concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. Materials and methods. Ninety one patients were examined. Their average age was (57.9 ± 9.4) years. Three groups of patients were identified: I — 36 persons with stage 2 hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), II — 28 patients with NAFLD without hypertension, group III — 27 patients with stage 2 hypertension without NAFLD. Results. A significant increase of spontaneous aggregation degree was revealed in all groups: in patients with stage 2 hypertension — threefold (p < 0.05), in group with NAFLD — by 4.2 times (p < 0.001), in group with stage 2 hypertension and NAFLD — sevenfold (p < 0.01). The degree of adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation increased in all patients: with stage 2 hypertension — by 116 % (p < 0.05), NAFLD and stage 2 hypertension — by 93 % (p < 0.001), with NAFLD alone — by 71.7 % (p < 0.05). The degree of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation decreased by 8.3 % (p < 0.05) in the group of NAFLD with stage 2 hypertension. Conclusions. An increase of the functional activity of platelets is observed in hypertension, the severity of which increases significantly in combination with NAFLD. Patients with NAFLD alone had also significant increase in spontaneous platelet aggregation. It allows us to consider NAFLD as one of the risk factors for thrombophilic changes in the primary link of hemostasis.