Platelet Function Assessment in Patients with Essential Hypertension at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross River State

This study assesses platelet function in patients with essential hypertension at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Cross River State, South South Nigeria. Hypertension is associated with platelet hyperreactivity and endothelial dysfunction that synergistically promote atherothrombosis, and characterising platelet functional status in hypertensive patients aids in risk stratification for cardiovascular events. A case-control study recruited 100 confirmed essential hypertensives not on antiplatelet therapy and 50 normotensive controls. Platelet function was assessed using platelet aggregation studies (ADP-induced and collagen-induced) by light transmittance aggregometry, and platelet indices including MPV, PDW, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were determined. Blood pressure control was classified as adequate or inadequate based on BP readings at enrolment. Results demonstrated significantly greater ADP-induced and collagen-induced platelet aggregation in hypertensive patients compared to controls. Inadequately controlled hypertensives showed significantly higher platelet aggregation than those with controlled blood pressure. MPV and PDW were both significantly elevated in hypertensive patients. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure. The study supports the integration of platelet function assessment into the cardiovascular risk evaluation of hypertensive patients and recommends consideration of low-dose aspirin in hypertensive patients with evidence of platelet hyperreactivity following individual bleeding risk assessment at UCTH Calabar. Keywords: essential hypertension, platelet function, platelet aggregation, cardiovascular risk, Cross River State.