Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41568573›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Heart Association2026

Circulating Neutrophil and Monocyte Counts Are Inversely Associated With Heart Rate Variability Indices: The Maastricht Study.

Haifa Maalmi, Kristiaan Wouters, Nicolaas C Schaper, Anna Zhu, Jordi Heijman, Carla J H van der Kallen, Marleen M J van Greevenbroek, Pieter C Dagnelie, Bastiaan E de Galan, Anke Wesselius and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Heart Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Haifa Maalmi *German Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.
Kristiaan Wouters *Department of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7127-6950
Nicolaas C SchaperDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2128-8029
Anna ZhuGerman Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3432-0593
Jordi HeijmanDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-1418-108X
Carla J H van der KallenDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1468-8793
Marleen M J van GreevenbroekDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2989-1631
Pieter C DagnelieDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1767-8814
Bastiaan E de GalanDepartment of Internal Medicine Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) Maastricht the Netherlands.
Anke WesseliusNutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Maastricht the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4474-9665
Dan ZieglerGerman Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8956-3552
Michael RodenGerman Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8200-6382
Christian HerderGerman Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2050-093X
Kolade Oluwagbemigun *German Diabetes Center (DDZ), Institute for Clinical Diabetology, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9454-5970
Coen D A Stehouwer *Department of Chronic Metabolic Disease Leuven University Leuven Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInflammatory biomarkers, including immune cells appear associated with reduced heart rate variability (HRV), an indicator of cardiac autonomic nervous dysfunction. However, the influence of leukocytes on HRV and their relation across sex and glucose metabolism status remains unclear. Hence, we sought to investigate the cross-sectional association between leukocytes and HRV indices and their association across sex and glucose metabolism status in a general population.

methodsWe retrieved cross-sectional data of 1888 participants of the Maastricht Study who completed the baseline survey between November 2010 and December 2017. Blood leukocyte numbers (including neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes) were determined with an automated hematology analyzer. Qualitative changes within lymphocytes were assessed with flow cytometry. HRV indices were assessed using a 24-hour ECG. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV index average scores were calculated. We regressed HRV average scores on standardized leukocytes and adjusted the models for several covariates.

resultsIn fully adjusted models, higher neutrophil (-0.07 [-0.11 to -0.03]; false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected

conclusionsHigher neutrophil and monocyte counts were associated with lower HRV, irrespective of sex and glucose metabolism status. This suggests a role of these cells reflecting innate immune processes and inflammatory response in cardiac autonomic nervous dysfunction.

Indexed as

Autonomic Nervous SystemHeart RateMonocytesNeutrophilsAdultAgedBiomarkersBlood GlucoseCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLeukocyte CountMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsBiomarkersBlood Glucoseheart rate variability indicesimmune cellslymphocytesmonocytesneutrophils

Identifiers

PMID41568573
PMCPMC13055471

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.