High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and white blood cell count equally predict development of the metabolic syndrome in a Japanese health screening population

To compare high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) as a predictor of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for age, smoking, and other confounding covariates and areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of hs-CRP and WBC for developing MetS were calculated in 1,463 men and 920 women from a Japanese health screening population who were free from MetS, diabetes, histories of coronary heart disease, and stroke at baseline and followed through 3 years. The adjusted HRs (95% confidence interval—CI; p value) of MetS for each 1 SD increases in log hs-CRP, and log WBC were 1.345 (1.166–1.553; <0.001) and 1.406 (1.188–1.664; <0.001), respectively, in men and 1.388 (1.110–1.736; 0.004) and 1.358 (1.072–1.721; 0.011), respectively, in women. However, the HRs became nonsignificant after further adjusted for the components of MetS. The AUCs (95% CI; p value) of hs-CRP and WBC for predicting MetS were 0.616 (0.573–0.660; <0.001) and 0.613 (0.566–0.659; <0.001), respectively, in men and 0.636 (0.573–0.698; <0.001) and 0.606 (0.538–0.673; 0.003), respectively, in women. Hs-CRP and WBC equally predict development of MetS, but both are poor predictors of MetS in a Japanese health screening population where obesity is not prevailing.