The Association Between Leukocyte Parameters and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

<i>Background</i>: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of disorders with a high incidence which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the development of metabolic syndrome. Inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein have been proved to be associated with MetS, but they are often used in disease diagnosis rather than in routine health screening. Instead, leukocyte is a convenient inflammatory marker. However, the association between leukocyte-related parameters and MetS remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between leukocyte parameters and MetS. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched for articles published from September 2012 to September 2022 for studies on the association of leukocyte with MetS patients. Outcome data were extracted and the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. STATA software version 16.0 was utilized to conduct meta-analyses and assess publication bias. <i>Results</i>: A literature search of all major databases retrieved 2661 studies. After screening, 11 studies were analyzed including a total of 13301 MetS patients. Pooled analysis showed that elevated leukocyte level was significantly associated with MetS (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI (0.23-0.38), Z = 8.07, P <0.001). Conclusion: Elevated leukocyte level may be a potentially useful clinical marker for predicting the possibility of developing MetS in healthy populations.