Inflammation May Drive Heart Effects of Fitness and Obesity

So much for fit and fat.

"Fitness had an inverse association with total white blood cell count and white cell subfraction concentrations whereas a higher body mass index correlated with higher white cell levels, Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and colleagues reported online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The findings add to those from a previous study showing similar associations among fitness, fatness, and total white cell count.

'These findings provide one more potential mechanism whereby higher levels of fitness and lower levels of fatness reduce the risk of [cardiovascular disease],' the authors concluded.

An elevated white-cell count is an independent predictor of coronary morbidity and mortality. The total white count comprises subfractions of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, and eosinophils, the authors noted.

Epidemiologic studies have indicated that an elevated neutrophil concentration or total granulocyte concentration may be the strongest predictor of coronary disease incidence, carotid atherosclerosis, and mortality, they continued."

Bummer, fatsos.