The predictive value of fibrinogen in the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment events in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

Background Research suggests that fibrinogen (Fib) is related to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and the risk of MCI in patients with DPN is greatly increased, although no studies have evaluated the predictive value of Fib for the risk of MCI in patients with DPN. Methods This prospective observational clinical study enrolled 207 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, who were divided into diabetes with no neuropathy (102 cases) and diabetes with neuropathy (105 cases) groups. Meanwhile, 90 healthy unrelated subjects were recruited as controls. The incidence of MCI in the DPN patients was followed up for 2 years. Divide patients in the DPN group into subgroups according to whether MCI occur, use multivariate logistic regression to analyze independent factors of MCIs in DPN patients within 2 years, and use ROC curve to analyze the predictive value of Fib for MCI in DPN patients. Results Fib levels were significantly higher in diabetic subjects with neuropathy compared with those without (P < 0.001). In further subgroup analysis of DPN patients who were divided according to the occurrence of MCI, baseline data of the MCI subgroup showed Fib levels were higher than that in the non-MCI group while education levels declined (P < 0.001). The education level and increased Fib levels were independent factors for the occurrence of MCI within 2 years after the onset of DPN (OR = 0.769, 95% CI: 0.605 ~ 0.968, P = 0.037; OR = 2.674, 95% CI: 1.094 ~ 3.168, P = 0.002). The ROC curve indicated that the predictive value of Fib was (AUC = 0.764, 95% CI: 0.671 ~ 0.842, P < 0.001). Conclusions Fib may function as a predictor for assessing the risk of MCI in DPN patients.

Mild cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes is associated with fibrinogen-to-albumin ratios

“…Some research results show that increases in hypercoagulability markers and inflammatory markers may lead to thrombosis, accelerate atherosclerosis, and eventually lead to or aggravate AD ( Pyun et al, 2020 ). Diabetes patients have a higher plasma fibrinogen content than normal people, and fibrinogen is associated with cognitive impairment ( Zhuang et al, 2022 ). Albumin is the most abundant protein in human extracellular fluid, is an important biomarker reflecting nutritional status; it participates in many biological activity processes in the body, and has the functions of maintaining plasma colloid osmotic pressure, buffering blood acid-base changes, combining and transporting various endogenous and exogenous substances in the body, and acting as an antioxidant.…”