title: Total and differential white blood cell counts predict eight-year incident coronary heart disease in elderly Japanese-American men: the Honolulu Heart Program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have reported an association between total and differential white blood cell (WBC) counts and incident coronary heart disease (CHD), but data from elderly populations are scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between total and differential WBC counts and incident CHD in an elderly Japanese-American population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total and differential WBC counts were examined at a baseline examination from 1991 to 1993 in the Honolulu Heart Program. Subjects were Japanese-American men aged 71-93 years free of CHD at baseline (N = 2879), who were divided into quartiles of total and differential WBC counts for analysis, and were followed for incident CHD for 8 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow up period, 279 men developed CHD. Hazard ratio for incident CHD for each quartile of total and differential WBC counts were obtained by Cox regression using the lowest quartile as the reference group. After full adjustment including age, cardiovascular risk factors, chronic diseases and medication use, the hazard ratios in the highest quartiles of total WBC, granulocyte and neutrophil counts were 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-2.62; P = 0.006), 1.66 (95%CI, 1.11-2.48; P = 0.01), and 1.57 (95%CI, 1.06-2.34; P = 0.03), respectively. No significant associations were found between lymphocyte or monocyte counts and incident CHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher total WBC, granulocyte and neutrophil counts were associated with higher risk of incident CHD in a population of elderly Japanese-American men. Further studies are needed to establish cut-points and treatment options with anti-inflammatory medications.
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Electronic address: skarino0526@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shigehiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karino
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA; Kuakini Medical Center, 347 North Kuakini Street, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Electronic address: willcoxbj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Electronic address: K.FONG@kuakini.org.
authors.forename: Kaon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Electronic address: Serena.Hy.Lo@kp.org.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu-shi, Shiga-ken 520-2153, Japan. Electronic address: rda3e@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: The John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 North Kuakini Street, HPM-9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA; Kuakini Medical Center, 347 North Kuakini Street, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Electronic address: km1@hawaii.rr.com.
authors.forename: Kamal H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Masaki
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Aging; Atherosclerosis; Coronary disease; Inflammation; Leukocytes