title: Leukocytes as a coronary risk factor in a dyslipidemic male population.
abstract: The role of an elevated serum leukocyte count (WBC) as a coronary risk factor was investigated using a nested case-control design in dyslipidemic middle-aged men (n = 420) participating in the Helsinki Heart Study, a coronary primary prevention trial. Baseline WBC was significantly higher, 6.93 (2.11) x 10(9)/L in subjects with cardiac events, than in controls, 6.26 (1.88) x 10(9)/L; p less than 0.002. This association was time-dependent, however, since the difference was not significant for events occurring during the second half of the 5-year study. Using nonsmokers in the lowest WBC tertile as the reference sample, the relative risks in the highest WBC tertile were 1.86 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.81 to 4.28) for nonsmokers and 3.07 (95% CI 2.23 to 8.19) for smokers. Logistic regression analysis including smoking in the model disclosed an independent contribution of elevated WBC to coronary heart disease. We conclude that elevated leukocyte count was a coronary risk factor even in this dyslipidemic population.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Helsinki University, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mänttäri
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manninen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koskinen
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Huttunen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oksanen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tenkanen
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Frick
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology