American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 136, No. 1: 59-70
Copyright © 1992 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
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Leukocyte Count and Risk of Major Coronary Heart Disease Events
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine London NW3 2PF, England
3Coordinating Centers for Biometric Research, Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
4Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Reprint request to Dr. Andrew N. Philips, Academic Department of GenitoUrinary Medicine, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, James Pringle House, 7375 Charlotte Street, London W1N 8AA, England.
The association between leukocyte count and subsequent risk of major coronary heart disease events was examined using data from three prospective cohort studies two from the United States and one from Great Britain. A total of 28, 181 middle-aged men were followed for 612 years. A total of 1, 768 men had a nonfatal myocardial infarction or died of coronary heart disease. In all three cohorts, there was a positive, statistically significant relation between baseline leukocyte count and risk of subsequent major coronary heart disease events after adjustment for age, serum total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, and number of cigarettes smoked per day (relative odds = 1.32 (p < 0.0001), 1.15 (p = 0.0001), and 1.14 (p = 0.003), corresponding to a 2, 000/ mm3 difference in leukocyte count). The associations persisted when all nonsmokers (former smokers plus never smokers) and never smokers alone were considered and when those with evidence of preexisting coronary heart disease at baseline were excluded. Leukocyte count appears to be an indicator of a person's future risk of major coronary heart disease events.
blood cell count; coronary disease; leukocyte count; myocardial infarction; prospective studies
2Current address: Academic Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London W1N 8AA, England.
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