White Blood Cell Count (WBC)
Routine annualalso leukocyte count
What it isTotal count of all immune cells per microliter — neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils.
DoesDefends against pathogens, surveys for cancer, mediates inflammation and repair.
GoodA mid-low WBC count in a healthy person predicts the lowest all-cause mortality and reflects low chronic inflammation.
BadElevated WBC marks infection, inflammation, stress, or marrow disorders, and elevated baseline WBC predicts cardiovascular events. Very low WBC raises infection risk and can signal marrow failure or autoimmune disease.
- Standard
- 3.4–10.8 K/µL.
- Optimal
- 4.0–6.5 K/µL (narrow target)
- Modifiers
- Rises with stress, infection, smoking; falls with severe vitamin deficiency or marrow suppression.
How to optimize
- Lifestyle
- Quit smoking; address chronic inflammation; sleep 7–9 hours; resistance training.
- Diet
- Mediterranean pattern; cut ultra-processed food.
- Supplements
- Omega-3 EPA+DHA (2–4g/day), curcumin (500mg 2×/day), vitamin D3.
- Peptides
- Thymosin alpha-1, thymalin support immune balance.
- Drugs
- Treat underlying cause.
Reference ranges are general adult lab norms; optimal ranges are editorial picks from the longevity literature — not medical advice. Always interpret results with your physician.
within Blood Cells