Circulating Monocyte Count as a Surrogate Marker for Ventricular-Arterial Remodeling and Incident Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Among 2085 asymptomatic subjects (age: 51.0 ± 10.7 years, 41.3% female) with data available on common carotid artery diameter (CCAD) and circulating total white blood cell (WBC) counts, higher circulating leukocytes positively correlated with higher high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Higher WBC/segmented cells and monocyte counts were independently associated with greater relative wall thicknesses and larger CCADs, which in general were more pronounced in men and obese subjects (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) (all P interaction: < 0.05). Using multivariate adjusting models, only the monocyte count independently predicted the left ventricular mass index (LVMi) (ß-Coef: 0.06, p = 0.01). Higher circulating WBC, segmented, and monocyte counts and a greater CCAD were all independently associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF)/all-cause death during a median of 12.1 years of follow-up in fully adjusted models, with individuals manifesting both higher CCADs and monocyte counts incurring the highest risk of HF/death (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.57. −5.03, p < 0.001; P interaction, 0.035; lower CCAD/lower monocyte as reference). We conclude that a higher monocyte count is associated with cardiac remodeling and carotid artery dilation. Both an elevated monocyte count and a larger CCAD may indicate a specific phenotype that confers the highest risk of HF, which likely signifies the role of circulating monocytes in the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).