Table 1 Baseline characteristics by sex-specific quartiles of leukocyte count

n

5110

4864

4794

5026

19,794

Leukocytes, 10⁹ cells/L

3.93 ± 0.5

5.17 ± 0.3

6.33 ± 0.4

8.74 ± 1.6

6.04 ± 2.01

Leukocytes, 10⁹ cells/L, range

2.0-4.6

4.6-5.7

5.6-7.0

7.1-19.2

2.0-19.2

Women, %

13.4

13.1

15.1

13.2

13.7

Age, years

43.6 ± 6.1

43.8 ± 6.0

43.7 ± 6.1

43.9 ± 5.9

0.055

43.7 ± 6.0

Systolic blood pressure, mmHg

126 ± 14

127 ± 15

127 ± 16

127 ± 16

0.028

126 ± 15

Smoking status, %

Never smokers

50.2

38.2

27.5

13.2

< 0.001

32.3

Former smokers

24.6

22.4

16.4

8.4

< 0.001

18.0

Current smokers

25.2

39.4

56.1

78.4

< 0.001

49.7

High alcohol consumption, %

12.1

13.3

14.5

17.6

< 0.001

14.4

Antihypertensive medication, %

3.4

3.6

4.1

4.0

0.057

3.8

Body mass index, kg/m²

24.2 ± 3.1

24.6 ± 3.4

24.7 ± 3.6

24.4 ± 3.5

0.002

24.5 ± 3.4

Cholesterol, mmol/L

5.51 ± 1.0

5.58 ± 1.0

5.62 ± 1.0

5.76 ± 1.1

< 0.001

5.61 ± 1.1

Diabetes, %

2.1

2.2

2.6

2.9

0.005

2.5

Physical inactivity, %

50.9

54.8

56.7

58.9

< 0.001

55.3

History of MI or AP, %

1.8

1.5

2.0

2.1

0.093

1.8

FEV1, % of predicted

97.5 ± 17.6

95.6 ± 17.4

93.4 ± 17.4

91.1 ± 17.5

< 0.001

94.4 ± 17.7