The role of peripheral white blood cell counts in the association between central adiposity and glycemic status

Abstract Aims Although central adiposity is a well-known risk factor for diabetes, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the potential mediation role of circulating WBC counts in the association between central adiposity and the risk of diabetes. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Fuqing cohort study, which included 6,613 participants aged 35–75 years. Logistic regression analysis and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis were used to examine the relationships between waist-to-hip ratio, WBC counts and glycemic status. Both simple and parallel multiple mediation models were used to explore the potential mediation effects of WBCs on the association of waist-to-hip ratio with diabetes. Results The study revealed a positive relationship between waist-to-hip ratio and risk of prediabetes (OR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.35 to 1.74) and diabetes (OR = 2.89; 95% CI, 2.45 to 3.40). Moreover, elevated peripheral WBC counts were associated with both central adiposity and worsening glycemic status (P