Elevated White Blood Cell Count Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Insulin Resistance among Non-Diabetic Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Working in Cotonou, Benin

Abstract

High white blood cell count (WBC) and insulin resistance (IR) are interrelated events that contribute to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type-2 diabetes (T2D). However, associations between IR and hematological parameters have never been explored in populations of Benin. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of IR and associated hematological parameters in taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) working in Cotonou. A total of 133 participants were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Complete blood count, including WBC and platelet, as well as fasting plasma glucose and insulin, were performed by standard procedures. IR was assessed using the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Factors associated with IR, their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined by logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the study participants was 39.3 years. The HOMA-IR cut-off (75th percentile) for IR was 5.9. The overall prevalence of IR was 24.1%. IR increased with the increase of exposure duration and WBC levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of IR increased significantly with higher total WBC, with adjusted ORs (95% CI) for the second and third tertiles of 3.56 (1.10 - 11.58) and 4.01 (1.21 - 13.31), respectively. Similar patterns of associations were observed in an analysis restricted to non-drinkers, although these estimates lacked statistical significance. BMI > 24.2 kg/m2 was independently associated with an increased risk of IR (OR = 3.82, 95% CI: 1.33 - 11.03, P = 0.013). In conclusion, the prevalence of IR in TMDs was 24.1%. IR was significantly associated with elevated WBC count and BMI. WBC may serve as a biomarker to identify individuals at the greatest IR risk.