Índice neutrófilo/linfocito y control glucémico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 atendidos en el Hospital Abel Gilbert Pontón durante el período 2023-2025.

Abstract

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by metabolic alterations associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and persistent hyperglycemia. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easily accessible inflammatory biomarker obtained from a routine complete blood count, and elevated values have been associated with inadequate glycemic control. Objective: To analyze the association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated at Hospital de Especialidades Guayaquil Dr. Abel Gilbert Pontón during the 2023–2025 period. Methods: A retrospective, observational, and analytical study was conducted based on the review of clinical records of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 106 records were reviewed, of which 32 met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. Glycemic control was assessed using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), considering values <7% as adequate and ≥7% as inadequate. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare NLR values between both groups, with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the patients was 62.16 years, and 53.1% were male. Inadequate glycemic control was observed in 75.0% of patients, while 25.0% had adequate glycemic control. Mean HbA1c was 9.10 ± 2.91%. The NLR showed a mean of 14.40 ± 16.58 and a median of 9.36. Patients with inadequate glycemic control had a median NLR of 11.74, whereas those with adequate glycemic control had a median of 2.26. A statistically significant difference was observed between both groups (U = 22.0; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with inadequate glycemic control showed significantly higher NLR values than those with adequate glycemic control, demonstrating an association between both variables. The NLR may represent an easily accessible complementary inflammatory marker in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, it does not replace HbA1c and should be interpreted together with the patient’s clinical context.