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Short stature is an inflammatory disadvantage among middle-aged Japanese men

Yuji Shimizu1,2, Hiroyuki Yoshimine3, Mako Nagayoshi4

  • 1Department of Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan. simizicyuu@yahoo.co.jp.

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
|May 12, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Short stature is linked to higher white blood cell counts in Japanese men, particularly those with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m². This suggests an inflammatory disadvantage associated with shorter height, especially in overweight individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Inflammation Markers
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • White blood cell (WBC) count is associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
  • Previous research indicated an inverse relationship between height and carotid atherosclerosis in overweight men.
  • The association between high WBC count and height, considering body mass index (BMI) status, remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between high white blood cell (WBC) count and height in Japanese men.
  • To examine how body mass index (BMI) modifies this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 3016 Japanese men aged 30-59 years.
  • High WBC count was defined as the highest tertile of WBC count.
  • Data collected during general health check-ups between April 2013 and March 2014.

Main Results:

  • Height was inversely associated with high WBC count, independent of cardiovascular risk factors.
  • This inverse association was more pronounced in subjects with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m².
  • Odds ratios (ORs) for high WBC count per 5.7 cm increase in height were 0.91 overall, 1.00 for BMI < 23 kg/m², and 0.86 for BMI ≥ 23 kg/m².

Conclusions:

  • Height is inversely associated with high WBC count, independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Shorter stature appears to confer an inflammatory disadvantage, particularly in Japanese men with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m².
Abstract

Keywords:
BMIHeightInflammationWhite blood cell

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