Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Leukocytes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions including central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose regulation.
• MetS significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and all-cause mortality.
• White blood cell (WBC) count serves as a marker for inflammation and infection, potentially reflecting metabolic status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between MetS and WBC count.
• To determine the effect size of WBC count as a biomarker for MetS.
• To provide robust evidence on the relationship between leukocyte concentrations and metabolic syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies from PubMed and Scopus databases.
• Assessment of methodological quality using the STROBE tool.
• Evaluation of risk of bias with RevMan and quality of evidence with Grade Pro.

Main Results:

• Included 14 articles with data from 21,005 individuals with MetS and 66,339 controls.
• Subjects with MetS demonstrated a significantly higher mean leukocyte count (0.64 ×10⁹/L; 95% CI: 0.55–0.72; p < 0.00001).
• High heterogeneity was observed (I² = 93%).

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between elevated white blood cell counts and metabolic syndrome.
• Further research into the role of leukocytes in MetS pathophysiology could offer new avenues for early diagnosis.
• WBC count may serve as a valuable biomarker in the context of metabolic syndrome.