Relation of hematologic inflammatory markers and obesity in otherwise healthy participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2016

This study investigated the association between hematologic inflammatory markers derived from complete blood counts and obesity. We undertook a cross-sectional study that included self-reported healthy subjects above the age of 18 years from the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a US population database. Study parameters included mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, total platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index. Body mass index was used as an index of obesity and was correlated with each hematologic inflammatory marker. Our analysis found a statistically significant association between each inflammatory parameter and higher body mass indices. We demonstrated an association between complete blood count–derived indices of inflammation and obesity, and these results provide the basis for future studies using complete blood count–derived variables and outcomes in patients with some chronic diseases.