Association between the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and cardiometabolic markers : a cross-sectional study in obese and overweight subjects

Introduction The RDW is hence a measurement of the size variation and an index of the heterogeneity of the erythrocytes, which is calculated by dividing the standard deviation (SD) of RBC volume by the MCV and multiplying by 100 to express the result as a percentage. Several lines of evidences have recently attested that increased RDW is associated with a higher likelihood of a variety of disorders, so that this parameter might become a novel and reliable marker, refl ecting multiple physiological impairments. The main aim of this study is to assess the association of the RDW in cardiometabolic risk. Methods The population of the present study consists on 116 subjects (87 females, 29 males, age: 39.43 ± 10.33y). Body composition markers (waist circonference, and BMI) were assessed. Also biochemical parameters, such as arterial pressure, glucose and triglyceride, insulin and HDL Cholesterol were also measured. A linear regression model, adjusted for gender and age, was applied to assess and quantify the associations between RDW and the several cardiovascular and metabolic markers. Results All cardiometabolic markers examinated, except for arterial pressure, glucose and triglyceride, showed highly significant association (P < 0.001) with RDW index. For a unit increase of BMI, increased RWD of 0,16: this effect was very strong. Similar effects were found also for unit increase of waist circonference (b= +0,095), insulin (b=0,068) and cholesterol HDL (b= - 0,028). Conclusions RDW might be effectively considered a metabolic markers involved in cardiovascular and metabolic disease, whose assessment might allow the acquisition of significant diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with cardiovascular risk.