title: White blood cell counts in persons aged 65 years or more from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Correlations with baseline clinical and demographic characteristics.
abstract: A higher white blood cell (WBC) count has been shown to be a risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke in middle-aged populations. This study evaluated the relation between baseline WBC count and other risk factors, as well as subclinical and prevalent disease, in the Cardiovascular Health Study, an epidemiologic study of coronary heart disease and stroke in 5,201 persons aged 65 years or older. Baseline data were collected over a 12-month period in 1989-1990. WBC counts were statistically significantly higher in people with prevalent and subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease than in those who were free of disease. WBC counts correlated (p < 0.01) positively with coagulation factors, measures of glucose metabolism, creatinine, smoking, and triglycerides. In contrast, WBC counts correlated negatively with high density lipoprotein cholesterol, forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, and height. The correlations between WBC counts and risk factors were similar in both the entire cohort and the subgroup of persons who had never smoked. The authors conclude that WBC counts in the elderly are associated with prevalent and subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as well as its risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA.
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Bovill
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bild
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wahl
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology