ABSTRACT
The relation between hematologic variables and insulin resistance has been reported previously; however, there is still debate about the correlation between hematologic variables and the metabolic syndrome [MetS]. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between MetS and white blood cells [WBC] and red blood cells [RBC]. This cross-sectional study recruited 11974 participants over 19 years old who participated in the Isfahan Healthy Heart Program [IHHP] in Najafabad and Arak, Isfahan. Participants were selected using multi-stage random sampling. A questionnaire about demographic variables, including age, sex, and past medical history, was filled for each participant by a trained nurse, and the participants' blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and other anthropometric variables were recorded by physicians using standard methods. After 12 hours fasting, laboratory parameters, including RBC, WBC, hemoglobin [Hb], and hematocrit, [Hct] together with such biochemical variables as glucose, triglyceride [TG], and HDL-cholesterol were measured. MetS was defined according to the ATP-III criteria. The data were entered in SPSS-11 and analyzed using the t-test and correlation analysis. From the 11974 participants, 6132 [51%] were female. Mean age was 35.6 +/- 3.8 years in the females and 35.9 +/- 32 years in the males. In general, 23.1% of the subjects had MetS: 35% in the females and 10.6% in the males [p<0.05]. WBC and RBC were higher in the subjects with Mets. Regarding the correlation between the hematologic variables and the MetS components, the most significant correlations were seen between TG and WBC [r: 0.195, p<0.001] and HDL-C and RBC [r: -0.245, p<0.001]. According to our findings, high counts of RBC and WBC were observed in those with MetS. The predictive use of these parameters needs further longitudinal
ABSTRACT
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>There is limited evidence about the association between smoking and metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of this study was to assess the association of smoking with MS components.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>As part of the baseline survey of a community-based study, we studied 5,573 non-diabetic men. All participants were interviewed and underwent physical examinations and blood collection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The study participants comprised 1,625 smokers and 3,948 non-smokers, with a mean age of 38.07 +/- 14.85 years. Serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were higher in smokers than in non-smokers (LDLC: 115.34 +/- 39.03 vs 112.65 +/- 40.94 mg/dL, respectively, P = 0.015 and TG: 175.13 +/- 102.05 vs 172.32 +/- 116.83 mg/dL, respectively, P = 0.005). Body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio were lower in smokers than in non-smokers. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in smokers than in non-smokers (systolic: 112.06 +/- 15.888 vs 117.25 +/- 17.745 mmHg, respectively, P = 0.000; diastolic: 73.66 +/- 10.084 vs 76.23 +/- 10.458 mmHg, respectively, P = 0.000). The percentage of individuals with 2 MS components was higher in smokers than in non-smokers (39.64% vs 33.00%, respectively, P = 0.000). However, the percentage of non-smokers with 3 MS components was higher than in smokers (49.62 % vs 43.82%, respectively, P = 0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our findings support the hypothesis that lifestyle factors such as smoking can adversely affect MS components. However, we should acknowledge that these differences may have resulted from the large sample sizes studied and may not be clinically significant. The lower prevalence of some MS components in smokers than in nonsmokers might be because of their lower anthropometric measures.</p>