TEG assay to assess the altered lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with dyslipidemia, a known risk factor for atherosclerosis that increases the risk of thrombosis. Thromboelastography (TEG), a hemostasis assessment method, has not been routinely applied to patients with DM. This study aimed to investigate the effect of lipid profile in patients with type 2 DM toward hemostasis profile using TEG assay. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with type 2 DM in the Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic of Saiful Anwar Hospital from November 2020 to April 2021. We measured the serum level of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TG) using an automatic analyzer. TEG is a diagnostic method to identify hemostatic profiles, including primary, secondary, and tertiary hemostasis. This study used a t-test and correlation-regression test for statistical analysis. The TEG analysis showed there was a significant difference in secondary hemostasis (R-value) in the patients with uncontrolled and controlled HDL levels (p < 0.05), in which the R-value was higher in the group of patients with DM and uncontrolled HDL levels. The correlation analysis of HDL on the R-value showed a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in TC, LDL, and TG levels in uncontrolled or controlled groups in primary, secondary, and tertiary fibrinolysis as measured by TEG. The HDL level in patients with type 2 DM affects hemostatic function through TEG analysis. TEG can be used as a screening method to detect early hemostatic abnormalities in patients with DM.