# Prognostic Value of the Hematometabolic Index for Incident Metabolic Syndrome: Findings From a Large Occupational Cohort of Japanese Men

## TL;DR

This study shows that a new blood-based index called HMI is strongly linked to the future risk of developing metabolic syndrome in Japanese men.

## Contribution

The novel hematometabolic index (HMI) is proposed as a potential predictor of incident metabolic syndrome.

## Key findings

- HMI was positively associated with metabolic syndrome components like obesity and diabetes at baseline.
- Higher HMI quartiles correlated with significantly increased odds of developing metabolic syndrome over five years.
- The association remained significant after adjusting for lifestyle and baseline metabolic factors.

## Abstract

Background: We have recently proposed the hematometabolic index (HMI), which was defined as the product of blood hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count after modifications. HMI was associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease in a cross-sectional study. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between HMI and the onset of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 7254 adult men (31-75 years old) receiving annual health checkups to investigate the relationship between HMI and incident metabolic syndrome. The subjects were divided into four HMI quartile groups, and the crude and adjusted odds ratios of each quartile vs. the 1st quartile group for metabolic syndrome were estimated using logistic regression analysis.

Results: In the baseline analysis using the data of subjects before follow-up, HMI showed significant positive relationships with the components of metabolic syndrome, including visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and/or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and diabetes. The crude odds ratios for metabolic syndrome after a five-year follow-up of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartile groups of HMI versus the 1st quartile group were 1.51 (1.16-1.96), 2.13 (1.66-2.73), and 3.02 (2.38-3.84), respectively, which were significantly higher than the reference level. The odds ratios remained significant after adjusting for age, histories of habitual smoking, alcohol consumption, and regular exercise, and the above components of metabolic syndrome at baseline.

Conclusion: HMI was associated with incident metabolic syndrome in this retrospective cohort study and is a possible predictor of cardiometabolic risk.