Association Between Erythrocyte Parameters And Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has already become a global health emergency, and it has emerged as a worldwide epidemic. MetS is rapidly increasing in prevalence, resulting in an enormous economic burden to society and has already become one of the major diseases seriously affecting population health. Various cross-sectional studies have shown that erythrocyte parameters, including red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT), were not associated with MetS, while some cross-sectional studies and a few longitudinal studies have detected the association between erythrocyte parameters and MetS. The study, therefore, constructed a large-scale longitudinal cohort in urban Chinese population to highlight and validate the association between erythrocyte parameters and MetS/its components.Methods:A longitudinal cohort with6,453participants was established based on the routine health check-up systems at the Centers for Health Management of Shandong Provincial Hospital and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital to follow up MetS, and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was used to detect the association between erythrocyte parameters and MetS/its components (obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension). Simple GEE model was firstly used to select variables associated with MetS/its components, then variables which were significant at the level of0.05in the simple GEE analysis entered the multiple GEE model to adjust the potential confounding.Results:287MetS occurred over the four-year follow-up, leading to a total incidence density of14.19per1,000person-years (287/20218person-years).In simple GEE model, the association between all of erythrocyte parameters and MetS/its components was detected (P<0.05) and a dose-response existed, a) RBC, HB, HCT, Gender, age, GGT, ALB, GLO, BUN, WBC, diet, drinking, smoking, quality of sleep and physical activity were associated with MetS, and PDW, MPV, PCT, S-Cr was not. b) All variables except PDW, MPV, PCT were associated obesity. c) All variables except PDW, PCT were associated dyslipidemia. d) All variables except PDW, MPV, PCT was associated hyperglycemia. e) All variables except PDW, MPV, PCT, ALB was associated hypertension. SAfter adjusted the potential confounding, both RBC and Hb were strongly associated with MetS (RR/95%CI,3.170/1.632-6.158for RBC;2.949/1.461-5.953for Hb), with their dose-response trends detected. All three erythrocyte parameters were found to be associated with obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia with similar dose-response trends respectively, while only Hb showed a significant association with hyperglycemia.Conclusions:Elevated erythrocyte parameters were confirmed to be associated with MetS/its components in urban Chinese population, suggesting that erythrocyte parameters might be served as a potential predictor for risk of MetS.