Last updated on 16th Oct 2021 - By Dwayne Michaels

How Abnormal WBC affects heart?

An abnormal WBC count is directly associated with increased incidence of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease.

White blood cells are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders.

The two commonly used categories of white blood cell disorders are - Leukopenia (low White Blood Cells) and Leukocytosis (high White Blood Cells)

1. Leucopenia (low White Blood Cells) - A range of disorders can cause decreases in white blood cells. The decrease in White Blood Cells is also called neutropenia. The causes of neutropenia (low White Blood cells) are:

• Toxins - alcohol, benzenes
• Any major infection
• Medications - chemotherapy, sulfas or other antibiotics, phenothiazenes, benzodiazepines, antithyroids, anticonvulsants, quinine, quinidine, indomethacin, procainamide, thiazides
• Radiation
• Intrinsic disorders - Fanconi's, Kostmann's, cyclic neutropenia, Chédiak–Higashi
• Blood cell dysfunction - megaloblastic anemia, myelodysplasia, marrow failure, marrow replacement, acute leukemia
• Immune dysfunction - disorders of collagen, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis
• Miscellaneous - starvation, hypersplenism

Symptoms of neutropenia are associated with the underlying cause of the decrease in neutrophils. For example, the most common cause of acquired neutropenia is drug-induced, so an individual may have symptoms of medication overdose or toxicity.

Treatment is also aimed at the underlying cause of the neutropenia. One severe consequence of neutropenia is that it can increase the risk of infection.

2. Leukocytosis (high White Blood Cells) - An increase in the number of white blood cells in circulation is called leukocytosis. This increase is most commonly caused by inflammation.

There are four major causes of Leukocytosis: Increase of production in bone marrow, increased release from storage in bone marrow, decreased attachment to veins and arteries, decreased uptake by tissues.

Neutrophilia is an increase in the absolute neutrophil count (a type of WBC) in the peripheral circulation. Neutrophilia can be caused by a direct problem with blood cells (primary disease). It can also occur as a consequence of an underlying disease (secondary).

Most cases of neutrophilia are secondary to inflammation. The main causes of neutrophilia are :

• Surgical removal of spleen
• Down syndrome
• Conditions with normally functioning neutrophils hereditary neutrophilia, chronic idiopathic neutrophilia
• Pelger–Hut anomaly
• Leukemia (chronic myelogenous (CML)) and other myeloproliferative disorders
• Leukocyte adhesion deficiency
• Familial cold urticaria

Did you know? Not getting enough sleep is linked to Heart attack, Depression, High Blood Pressure, Obesity and Diabetes.

Secondary causes of neutrophilia are :

• Cigarette smoking occurs in 25–50% of chronic smokers and can last up to 5 years after quitting
• Stress – exercise, surgery, general stress
• Infection
• Medication induced corticosteroids (for example, prednisone, β-agonists, lithium)
• Cancer – either by growth factors secreted by the tumor or invasion of bone marrow by the cancer
• Increased destruction of cells in peripheral circulation can stimulate bone marrow. This can occur in hemolytic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
• Chronic inflammation – especially juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Still's disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, granulomatous infections (for example, tuberculosis), and chronic hepatitis

White blood cell levels are a good predictor of strokes, heart attacks, and fatal heart disease in older women, according to a nationwide study. White cell counts can be easily measured by inexpensive, widely available tests, raising the possibility of lowering the toll of heart disease fatalities, the leading cause of death among women in the USA.