Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025
Assessment of the Metabolic Profile of Primary Leukemia Cells
Published on: November 21, 2018
Hematometabolic Index as a New Discriminator of Cardiometabolic Risk in Middle-Aged Men with Polycythemia and High
Ichiro Wakabayashi1, Takashi Daimon2
1Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Insights
Polycythemia and high leukocyte count together increase cardiometabolic risk. A new hematometabolic index (HMI) may help identify individuals at higher risk, particularly younger men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hematology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Polycythemia and elevated leukocyte counts are individually linked to cardiovascular disease risk.
- The synergistic effect of these hematological parameters on cardiometabolic risk remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined impact of hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count on cardiometabolic risk.
- To develop and validate a novel index, the hematometabolic index (HMI), for assessing cardiometabolic risk.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a cohort of 11,140 middle-aged men undergoing health check-ups.
- Stratification by tertiles of hemoglobin and leukocyte counts to assess cardiometabolic index (CMI) and metabolic syndrome prevalence.
- Development of HMI: (hemoglobin - 13.0) * (leukocyte count - 3000).
- Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate HMI's discriminatory power.
Main Results:
- The highest risk for high CMI and metabolic syndrome was observed in individuals in the highest tertiles for both hemoglobin and leukocyte counts.
- HMI demonstrated significant area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for predicting high CMI and metabolic syndrome.
- HMI's predictive ability decreased with increasing age, with a notable AUC of 0.707 for metabolic syndrome in the 30-39 age group.
Conclusions:
- Combined high hemoglobin and leukocyte counts present the greatest cardiometabolic risk.
- The hematometabolic index (HMI) shows promise as a novel biomarker for identifying individuals at risk of cardiometabolic disorders.
- HMI's effectiveness may be age-dependent, suggesting tailored risk assessment strategies.
Abstract:
Both polycythemia and high leukocyte count are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it remains to be determined whether polycythemia and high leukocyte count show synergistic increasing effects on cardiometabolic risk. Cardiometabolic risk was evaluated by cardiometabolic index (CMI) and metabolic syndrome in a cohort of middle-aged men (n = 11,140) who underwent annual health check-up examinations. The subjects were divided into three tertile groups by hemoglobin concentration or leukocyte count in peripheral blood, and their relations with CMI and metabolic syndrome were investigated. A new index, named hematometabolic index (HMI), was defined as the product of hemoglobin concentration (g/dL)-minus-13.0 and leukocyte count (/μL)-minus-3000. When the subjects were further classified by tertiles for hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count into nine groups, the odds ratios for high CMI and metabolic syndrome of the group categorized in the highest (third) tertiles for both hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count versus the group of the lowest (first) tertiles for both of them were highest among the nine groups. In receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for relationships of HMI with high CMI and metabolic syndrome, areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were significantly larger than the reference level and tended to be smaller with an increase in age. In subjects from 30 to 39 years of age, the AUC for the relationship between HMI and metabolic syndrome was 0.707 (0.663-0.751) and the cutoff of HMI was 9850. HMI, reflecting hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count, is thought to be a possible marker for discriminating cardiometabolic risk.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:19Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
01:27Disorders of Erythrocytes
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...