Background: A positive relation between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and inflammatory activity has been reported. The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationships between 1) white blood cell (WBC) count and MetS, 2) WBC count and the individual components of MetS and 3) WBC count and insulin sensitivity in 75-year-old women and men from the general population.
Methods: The study included 200 women and 196 men comprising 64% of the 75-year old people from the city of Västerås in Sweden. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).
Results: WBC count (109/L; median and interquartile range) was 5.7 (4.9–6.8) for women and 6.3 (5.4–7.2) for men, P < .001 for gender difference. For women with and without MetS, WBC count was 6.3 (5.3–7.3) and 5.4(4.7–6.3), respectively. For men the corresponding figures were 6.7 (5.9–7.6) and 6.1 (5.4–7.1).The difference in WBC count between individuals with and without MetS was significant (P < .001 for women; P = .014 for men). All individual components of MetS (with exception of blood pressure) were more strongly associated with WBC count for women than for men. Insulin sensitivity, measured as HOMA-IR (HOmeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance) index, was significantly associated with WBC count in women but not in men.
Conclusions: In this elderly population, individuals with MetS had a higher WBC count than those without. Women had a lower WBC count and stronger relationship between WBC count and insulin sensitivity than did men.
