Leukocyte Count as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Postmenopausal Women

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Abstract
Increasing evidence supports a role for inflammation in the atherosclerotic process.1,2 Initiation, growth, and complications of atherosclerotic plaques are each judged to be an inflammatory response to vascular injury,3,4 and inflammatory markers and cytokines originating in the heart, vessel walls, macrophages, adipose tissue, and liver have been associated with the risk of coronary events.5 In light of the multitude of pathobiological factors involved in inflammation, a large number of targets for measurement have been proposed to identify and monitor the inflammatory process in patients with, or at risk for, coronary heart disease (CHD). These include proinflammatory factors such as oxidized low-density lipoproteins, proinflammatory cytokines (eg, interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor-α), adhesion molecules (eg, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and selectins), inflammatory stimuli with hepatic effects (eg, interleukin 6), or the products of the hepatic stimulation, such as serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other acute-phase reactants.6 In addition, indicators of cellular responses to inflammation, such as elevated white blood cell (WBC) count, have also been considered.6