Association between neutrophil count and the risk of cardiovascular disease: A community-based cohort study in Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hematology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Neutrophil count is a known risk factor for atherosclerotic plaque and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
• Previous research on neutrophil count and CVD risk has largely focused on Caucasian populations, leaving a gap in understanding its significance in other ethnicities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between neutrophil count and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in a Taiwanese population.
• To clarify the clinical significance of neutrophil count as a predictor of CVD in non-Caucasian individuals.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 2,955 participants from the Chin-Shan Community Cardiovascular Study (CCCC) without pre-existing CVD were followed from 1990-1991 to 2013.
• Cox regression models were employed to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between neutrophil count and CVD risk.
• Subgroup analyses by sex and age, along with sensitivity analyses excluding extreme values, were conducted to ensure robustness.

Main Results:

• Over a median follow-up of 22 years, 400 new-onset CVD cases were documented.
• A higher neutrophil count was independently associated with an increased incidence of CVD in Taiwanese adults (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.03-1.94) after adjusting for covariates.
• The observed association remained consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

• This study demonstrates that elevated neutrophil counts are associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the Taiwanese population.
• The findings suggest that neutrophil count is a valuable clinical marker for predicting CVD risk in individuals of Taiwanese ethnicity, even in the absence of pre-existing CVD.