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Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 5/2016

01-09-2016 | Regular Article

Short stature is an inflammatory disadvantage among middle-aged Japanese men

Authors: Yuji Shimizu, Hiroyuki Yoshimine, Mako Nagayoshi, Koichiro Kadota, Kensuke Takahashi, Kiyohiro Izumino, Kenichiro Inoue, Takahiro Maeda

Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Issue 5/2016

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Abstract

Objectives

A positive association between white blood cell count and carotid atherosclerosis has been reported. Our previous study also found an inverse association between height and carotid atherosclerosis in overweight but not non-overweight men. However, no studies have reported on the association between high white blood cell (WBC) count and height accounting for body mass index (BMI) status.

Methods

We conducted a hospital-based general population cross-sectional study of 3016 Japanese men aged 30–59 years undergoing general health check-ups between April 2013 and March 2014. High WBC count was defined as the highest tertiles of WBC count among total subjects.

Results

Independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, height was found to be inversely associated with high WBC count, especially for subjects with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2. The classical cardiovascular risk factors adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of high WBC count for an increment of one standard deviation (SD) in height (5.7 cm) were 0.91 (0.83–0.99) for total subjects, 1.00 (0.86–1.15) for subjects with a BMI < 23 kg/m2 and 0.86 (0.77–0.96) for subjects with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2.

Conclusion

Independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, height was found to be inversely associated with high WBC count, especially for those with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2. Compared to high stature, short stature appears to convey an inflammatory disadvantage among Japanese men, especially those with a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2.
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Metadata
Title
Short stature is an inflammatory disadvantage among middle-aged Japanese men
Authors
Yuji Shimizu
Hiroyuki Yoshimine
Mako Nagayoshi
Koichiro Kadota
Kensuke Takahashi
Kiyohiro Izumino
Kenichiro Inoue
Takahiro Maeda
Publication date
01-09-2016
Publisher
Springer Japan
Published in
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Electronic ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-016-0538-y

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