Associations of novel blood-derived markers of inflammation with blood pressure, arterial stiffness and heart rate in young adults

Background Although C-reactive protein (CRP) is often used to assess inflammation and can predict high blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness, novel measures of inflammation derived from platelets, white blood cell counts, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) may also indicate possible hypertension and arterial stiffening. Methods We assessed the association between CRP and novel inflammatory markers and clinical BP, arterial stiffness, and heart rate (HR) in Gen2 Raine Study participants in Western Australia aged 17–22 years. Arterial stiffness was assessed using pulse-wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and pulse pressure (PP). Inflammatory markers included high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP); hsCRP-to-albumin ratio; lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR); mean platelet volume; neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio; monocyte/HDL-C ratio; neutrophil/HDL-C ratio; Prognostic Nutritional Index and the Systemic Inflammation Index (SII). Results Males ( N = 363) had higher systolic BP (SBP) ( Δ = 9.1 mmHg, p < 0.001), lower diastolic BP (DBP) ( Δ = −0.9 mmHg, p < 0.001), and higher PWV ( Δ = 0.37 m/sec; p < 0.001) than females ( N = 330). The lymphocyte count, monocyte/HDL-C ratio, and neutrophil/HDL-C ratio were positively associated with SBP, PP, and AIx. The platelet count was positively associated with SBP, DBP, and PP. Most inflammatory indices were associated with HR, and associations with SBP, DBP, AIx, and PWV were stronger in males than in females. The hsCRP and SII levels were not associated with SBP, DBP, PP, AIx, or PWV. Conclusions The lymphocyte count, monocyte/HDL-C ratio, neutrophil/HDL-C ratio, and platelet count showed more robust associations with blood pressure and arterial stiffness in young adults compared to hsCRP and SII, suggesting their potential utility in this specific context.