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Elevated white blood cell count as a risk factor of coronary artery disease: inconsistency between forms of the

Yutaka Takeda1, Shogo Suzuki, Tatsuya Fukutomi

  • 1Internal Medicine and Bioregulation, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.

Japanese Heart Journal
|April 30, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts are linked to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) but not stable angina pectoris (sAP). This suggests WBCs may specifically destabilize coronary artery plaques in ACS.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • White blood cells (WBCs) are implicated in coronary artery plaque destabilization and coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • The differential relationship between WBC counts and distinct CAD forms requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between baseline WBC counts and different manifestations of CAD, specifically acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable angina pectoris (sAP).
  • To identify distinct risk factors associated with ACS versus sAP in a Japanese population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of health check-up records from 6021 Japanese male workers (1994-1999).
  • Comparison of baseline WBC counts between subjects with ACS, sAP, and those without CAD.
  • Logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors for ACS and sAP.

Main Results:

  • Patients with ACS exhibited significantly higher baseline WBC counts compared to subjects without CAD (9210 vs. 6205/microL, P<0.001).
  • WBC counts in sAP patients were similar to those without CAD (6233/microL).
  • Hypertension was linked to sAP, while hypercholesterolemia and smoking were risk factors for ACS. Elevated WBC count (odds ratio 2.049) was the sole discriminator between ACS and sAP.

Conclusions:

  • An elevated WBC count is a potential risk factor for ACS, possibly due to plaque destabilization, but not for sAP.
  • Distinct risk factor profiles exist for ACS and sAP, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of CAD.

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