International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences | April 2017 | Vol 5 | Issue 4 Page 1471 International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Yadav V et al. Int J Res Med Sci. 2017 Apr;5(4):1471-1473 www.msjonline.org pISSN 2320-6071 | eISSN 2320-6012 Original Research Article Mean platelet volume as an indicator of severity of hypertensive retinopathy in hypertensive subjects Vishal Yadav 1 *, Pragya Jain 2 , Abhishek Singhai 1 , Rajesh Kumar Jha 1 INTRODUCTION Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide diseases afflicting humans and is a major risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Despite extensive research over the past several decades, the etiology of most cases of adult hypertension is still unknown, and control of blood pressure is suboptimal in the general population. Due to the associated morbidity and mortality and cost to society, preventing and treating hypertension is an important public health challenge. Fortunately, recent advances and trials in hypertension research are leading to an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension and the promise for novel pharmacologic and interventional treatments for this widespread disease. Hypertensive retinopathy represents the ophthalmic findings of end-organ damage secondary to systemic arterial hypertension. Although its name implies only retinal involvement, changes in both the choroid and the optic nerve are observed, depending on the chronicity and severity of the disease. Clinical changes from hypertensive choroidopathy are directly related to the release of endogenous vasoconstrictor agents during systemic hypertension. Platelets play a crucial role in the ABSTRACT Background: Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) represents the ophthalmic findings of end-organ damage secondary to systemic arterial hypertension. Platelets play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic complications, contributing to thrombus formation or apposition after plaque rupture. The aim of our study was to investigate whether Mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with the severity of hypertensive retinopathy in hypertensive patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Medicine of SAMC and PGI, Indore. Total 250 adult hypertensive patients (BP >140/90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive drugs) recruited for the study. Results: Of the 250 subjects, 158 (63.2%) were male and 92 (36.8%) were female. Elevated MPV >11.5 femtoliter was observed in 84 cases (33.6%). There was statistically significant relationship between the grade of retinopathy and elevated MPV in hypertensive subjects. (r = 0.52, P <0.001). Conclusions: We described a relation between MPV and HR (probably first time in Indian patients). Measurement of MPV is easy to establish and therefore might serve as a valuable predictor of a worse outcome in microvascular complications. Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, Platelets 1 Department of Medicine, Sri Aurobindo Medical College and PGI, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India 2 Department of Ophthalmology, ESIC Hospital, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India Received: 24 January 2017 Accepted: 03 March 2017 *Correspondence: Dr. Vishal Yadav, E-mail: doctorvishalyadav@gmail.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20171248