White Blood Cells: A Clue to COVID's Impact on Women?

Higher white blood cell counts may mean worse COVID for women.

For postmenopausal women, white blood cell or leukocytes counts could be a crucial indicator of COVID-19's potential severity, according to a new international study ().

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“Post-acute sequelae of Covid infection significantly affects quality of life, often leading to severe disability. This effect is particularly pronounced in women, who already experience higher rates of cognitive impairment after menopause,” said Dr. Monica Christmas, associate medical director for The Menopause Society.

“By understanding underlying factors, we can better address these challenges and work to mitigate the cascade of symptoms that follow,” she added. The study, led by researchers from Rush University, Harvard Medical School, and Ohio State University, aims to better understand pre-existing risk factors that may make certain adults -- especially older postmenopausal women -- more vulnerable to more serious ongoing symptoms.

Specifically, they examined whether leukocyte count (a widely available clinical marker of systemic inflammation) was associated with Covid disease outcomes. The results, published online in the journal Menopause, showed that leukocyte count is an independent predictor of Covid symptom severity in postmenopausal women.

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While more research is necessary, the initial work is promising because leukocyte count represents an easily accessible, inexpensive clinical marker, said the team.

Reference:

Physical phenotype of blood cells is altered in COVID-19 - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006349521004549?via%3Dihub)

Source-IANS

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