Smoking status and differential white cell count in XXXX and @entity1 in the EPIC-Norfolk population.

@entity1503 @entity1 @entity32 @entity5
The total @entity1503 ( @entity1503 ) count is reported to be an independent predictor of mortality in several prospective studies. We investigated the association between total and differential @entity1503 counts and cigarette smoking habit in a cross-sectional population-based study of 6902 @entity1 and 8405 @entity1 39-79 years of age participating between July 1994 and 1997 in the European Prospective Investigation of @entity5 (EPIC-Norfolk) study. Main outcome measures included @entity1503 , granulocyte, lymphocyte and monocyte counts measured at a baseline health check and self-reported cigarette smoking habit. The age- and body mass index-adjusted mean total @entity1503 counts were 7.8, 6.4, and 6.2x10(3) per ul (P<0.0001) among male current, former and never smokers, respectively, and 7.4, 6.3 and 6.2x10(3) per ul (P<0.0001), respectively, in @entity1 . The greatest absolute and percentage differences between smoking groups were observed for the granulocyte count. Current smoking habit had a stronger effect on mean total @entity1503 counts than cumulative exposure as measured by pack years. Among former smokers mean age- and body mass index-adjusted @entity1503 , granulocyte and lymphocyte counts were inversely related to duration of smoking cessation (P< or =0.02). Smokers who had given up less than 12 months previously had @entity1503 counts substantially lower (6.7 and 6.9x10(3) per ul, respectively, in @entity1 and @entity1 ) than current smokers. In conclusion, the total @entity1503 count and its components (particularly the granulocyte count) are strongly associated with cigarette smoking habit. Smoking cessation may have an almost immediate impact at least on pathophysiologic processes such as @entity32 that may be indicated by the @entity1503 count. The apparent almost immediate reversibility of effects of smoking on @entity32 , as indicated by the @entity1503 count, may help motivate efforts to stop smoking.
