The Prognostic Role of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Coronary Artery Disease: A Review of the Pathophysiology

Is Red Cell Distribution Width a Reliable Marker for Cardiovascular Diseases? A Narrative Review

Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an easy-to-access marker which is routinely measured in complete blood count (CBC) test. Besides the classic use of RDW as a marker for discriminating different types of anemia, recent studies had indicated the relationship between high RDW and cardiovascular diseases. High RDW is not only useful in the diagnosis and prognostication of various cardiovascular conditions but also could be used as a valuable tool for predicting the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. population-based studies have indicated that higher RDW could effectively predict the incidence of heart failure (HF), atherosclerotic diseases, and atrial fibrillation (AF). It has been also demonstrated that higher RDW is associated with worse outcomes in these diseases. Recent studies have shown that high RDW is also associated with other cardiovascular conditions including cardiomyopathies, and pulmonary hypertension. The predictive role of RDW in endovascular interventions has also been demonstrated by many recent studies. Here in this review, we attempt to compile the most recent findings with older reports regarding the relation between high RDW and HF, cardiomyopathies, pulmonary hypertension, AF, atherosclerotic disorders, primary hypertension, and the outcomes of endovascular interventions. we also discussed the role of RDW in the prognostication of different cardiovascular conditions when combined with classic classification criteria.

Red blood cell distribution width predicts mortality of adult patients receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measure of the variation in the size of circulating red blood cells. Recently, there is increasing interest in the role of RDW as a biomarker for inflammatory states and as a prognostication tool for a wide range of clinical manifestations. The predictive power of RDW on mortality among patients receiving mechanical circulatory support remains largely unknown.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 281 VA-ECMO patients at a tertiary referral academic hospital from 2009 to 2019 was performed. RDW was dichotomized with RDW-Low <14.5% and RDW-High ≥14.5%. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 30 days and 1 year. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between RDW and the clinical outcomes after adjusting for additional confounders.

RESULTS

281 patients were included in the analysis. There were 121 patients (43%) in the RDW-Low group and 160 patients (57%) in the RDW-High group. Survival to ECMO decannulation [RDW-H: 58% versus RDW-L: 67%, p = 0.07] were similar between the two groups. Patients in RDW-H group had higher 30-days mortality (RDW-H: 67.5% vs RDW-L: 39.7%, p < 0.001) and 1 year mortality (RDW-H: 79.4% vs RDW-L: 52.9%, p < 0.001) compared to patients in the RDW-L group. After adjusting for confounders, Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that patients with high RDW had increased odds of mortality at 30 days (hazard ratio 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.0, p < 0.01) and 1 year (hazard ratio 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.8, p < 0.01) compared to patients with low RDW.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients receiving mechanical circulatory support with VA-ECMO, a higher RDW was independently associated with increased 30-days and 1-year mortality. RDW may serve as a simple biomarker that can be quickly obtained to help provide risk stratification and predict survival for patients receiving VA-ECMO.

Association of inflammatory indicators with intensive care unit mortality in critically ill patients with coronary heart disease

Objective

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases, a common chronic disease in the elderly and a major cause of disability and death in the world. Currently, intensive care unit (ICU) patients have a high probability of concomitant coronary artery disease, and the mortality of this category of patients in the ICU is receiving increasing attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify whether the composite inflammatory indicators are significantly associated with ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD and to develop a simple personalized prediction model.

Method

7115 patients from the Multi-Parameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care Database IV were randomly assigned to the training cohort (n = 5692) and internal validation cohort (n = 1423), and 701 patients from the eICU Collaborative Research Database served as the external validation cohort. The association between various inflammatory indicators and ICU mortality was determined by multivariate Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. Subsequently, a novel predictive model for mortality in ICU patients with CHD was developed in the training cohort and performance was evaluated in the internal and external validation cohorts.

Results

Various inflammatory indicators were demonstrated to be significantly associated with ICU mortality, 30-day ICU mortality, and 90-day ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD by Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. The area under the curve of the novel predictive model for ICU mortality in ICU patients with CHD was 0.885 for the internal validation cohort and 0.726 for the external validation cohort. The calibration curve showed that the predicted probabilities of the model matched the actual observed probabilities. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis showed that the novel prediction model had a high net clinical benefit.

Conclusion

In ICU patients with CHD, various inflammatory indicators were independent risk factors for ICU mortality. We constructed a novel predictive model of ICU mortality risk in ICU patients with CHD that had great potential to guide clinical decision-making.

Hematological Changes during Seven Days of Hospitalization in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Acute myocardial infarction is a major cause of mortality worldwide, and atherosclerotic plaque formation is the main pathophysiological mechanism, which results in chronic inflammation that induces erythrocyte maturation and may cause an increase in the red cell distribution width (RDW) index.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the role of the anisocytosis index in patients with acute myocardial infarction in both types of infarctions as a predictor of severity.

METHODS

Patients were included in the study according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria, following the hospital routine based on their clinical and laboratory history. Statistical analyzes were performed according to each variable. All conclusions were drawn considering the significance level of 5%.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, in the 349 patients analyzed, the mortality rate was associated with the variables RDW (CV) and RDW (SD), in those patients who died, an increase was noted, as demonstrated in the multivariate model, for the effects of an acute ST elevation myocardial infarction and the RDW, adjusted for confounding factors (p-value = 0.03 and 0.04). In contrast, the total number of erythrocytes (p-value = 0.00) and hemoglobin (p-value = 0.03) showed a decrease during severe patients' hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

The anisocytosis index was a predictive factor of mortality and can be used as an indicator of worse prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Applying data mining techniques to predict vitamin D deficiency in diabetic patients

Vitamin D is among the vitamins necessary for both adults' and children's health. It plays a significant role in calcium absorption, the immune system, cell proliferation and differentiation, bone protection, skeletal health, rickets, muscle health, heart health, disease pathogenesis and severity, glucose metabolism, glucose intolerance, varying insulin secretion, and diabetes. Because the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) test, which is used to measure vitamin D is expensive and may not be covered in healthcare benefits in many countries, this study aims to predict vitamin D deficiency in diabetic patients. The prediction method is based on data mining techniques combined with feature selection by using historical electronic health records. The results were compared with a filter-based feature selection algorithm, namely relief-F. Non-valuable features were eliminated effectively with the relief-F feature selection method without any performance loss in classification. The performances of the methods were evaluated using classification accuracy (ACC), sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, precision, kappa results, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The analyses have been conducted on a vitamin D dataset of diabetic patients and the results show that the highest classification accuracy of 97.044% was obtained for the support vector machines (SVM) model using radial kernel that contains 18 features.

Predictors of the Overall Survival with Azacitidine Monotherapy in Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Ineligible for Intensive Therapy

Objective The prognostic factors for azacitidine in untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients ineligible for intensive therapy remain unknown. To identify prognostic factors for azacitidine monotherapy and assist clinicians in deciding whether to use azacitidine monotherapy or other therapies. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 27 patients with AML who were newly treated with azacitidine between 2013 and 2021 at our hospital. We evaluated potential predictors based on the overall survival (OS). Results A univariate analysis found that an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) ≥2 and platelet count (Plt) <27,000/μL had a significant negative influence on the OS. A multivariate analysis confirmed that both factors had significant independent adverse effects on the OS. An ECOG PS ≥2 and Plt <27,000/μL were thus assigned 1 point each, and a clinical scoring system was created. Log-rank testing showed that the 0-point group (n=12) had a median OS of 680 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 220-898 days] and a 1-year OS rate of 80.8% (95% CI 42.3-94.9%), the 1-point group (n=11) had a median OS of 90 days (95% CI 62-345 days) and a 1-year OS rate of 18.2% (95% CI 2.9-44.2%), and the 2-point group (n=4) had a median OS of 82 days [95% CI 19-not applicable (NA) days] and a 1-year OS rate of 0% (95% CI NA-NA). The p value of 0.00008 indicated that this scoring was useful. Conclusion The ECOG PS and Plt can be used to predict the OS with azacitidine monotherapy in untreated AML patients ineligible for intensive therapy.

Predictive Value of Red Cell Distribution Width in the Diagnosis of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)-Related Thrombosis Among Cancer Patients

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of red cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related thrombosis.

Patients and methods

This was a case‒control study. A total of 98 cancer patients undergoing PICC placement from January 2017 to December 2019 at the ICU Venous Access Center of Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. These included 47 cases in the thrombosis group and 51 cases in the nonthrombosis group according to the occurrence of PICC-related thrombosis within 90 days after the PICC procedure.

Results

a) RDW was significantly higher in the thrombosis group (15.98±1.93) than in the nonthrombosis group (13.98±1.09). Additionally, the number of smoking histories in the thrombosis group (18, 38.30%) was significantly higher than that in the nonthrombosis group (5, 9.80%). b) Logistic regression analysis indicated that RDW and smoking history were independent risk factors for PICC-related thrombosis (OR: 3.028, P<0.001; OR: 5.640, P=0.023). c) The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the combination of RDW and smoking history was 86.8%, and the sensitivity and specificity for predicting thrombosis after PICC were 85.1% and 80%, respectively. d) Cox regression analysis revealed that RDW and smoking history were independent risk factors for PICC-related thrombosis (p<0.001). e) Results from Kaplan‒Meier analysis showed that incidence of PICC-related thrombosis in patients with RDW less than 14.75% is significantly lower than those with RDW 14.75% and above (p<0.001). e) Baseline RDW was not different between the two groups (P>0.05), ΔRDW was significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001).

Conclusion

The combined use of RDW and smoking history has early evaluation and predictive value in the diagnosis of PICC-related thrombosis.

Risk Score for Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important comorbidity of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and worsens the prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between clinical data, test results, surgical findings, and AKI in STEMI patients and to develop a simple, practical model for predicting the risk of AKI.

Method

Prognostic prediction research with clinical risk score development was conducted. The data used for model development was derived from the database of the Henan Province Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Data and Sample Resource Bank Engineering Research Center. The data used for external validation was derived from the China Chest Pain Center database. The study endpoint was defined as the occurrence of AKI. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of AKI. Logistic coefficients of each predictor were used for score weighting and transformation. The predictive performance of the newly derived risk scores was validated, respectively, by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) regression in the development population and the external validation population.

Result

A total of 364 patients, 57 (15.6%) with AKI and 307 (84.4%) without AKI, were included for score derivation. The validation crowd includes 88 STEMI patients in different institutions. A total of 11 potential predictors were explored under the multivariable logistic regression model. The new risk score was based on five final predictors which were age > 72 years, ejection fraction of no more than 40%, baseline serum creatinine > 102.7 mmol/L, red blood cell distribution width > 13.15, and culprit lesion located in the middistal segment. With only five predictor variables, the score predicted the risk of AKI with the effective discriminative ability (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AuROC): 0.721, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.652-0.790). In the external validation, the newly developed score confirmed a similar discrimination as the crowd used for derivation (AuROC: 0.731, 95% CI: 0.624-0.838).

Conclusion

The newly developed score was proved to have good predictive performance and could be practically applied for risk stratification of AKI in STEMI patients.

Red blood cell distribution width predicts gastrointestinal bleeding after coronary artery bypass grafting

Background

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is highly associated with adverse clinical outcomes in many diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between RDW and gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study that included 4473 patients who received CABG, and all the data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. Data collected included patient demographics, associated comorbid illnesses, laboratory parameters, and medications. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the best cutoff value of RDW for the diagnosis of GIB. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between RDW and GIB.

Results

The incidence of GIB in patients receiving CABG was 1.1%. Quartile analyses showed a significant increase in GIB incidence at the fourth RDW quartile (> 14.3%; P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis revealed that an RDW level > 14.1% measured on admission had 59.6% sensitivity and 69.4% specificity in predicting GIB after CABG. After adjustment for confounders, high RDW was still associated with an increased risk of GIB in patients with CABG (odds ratio = 2.83, 95% confidence interval 1.46–5.51, P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Our study indicates that the elevated RDW level is associated with an increased risk of GIB after CABG, and it can be an independent predictor of GIB. The introduction of RDW to study GIB enriches the diagnosis method of GIB and ensures the rapid and accurate diagnosis of GIB.

Machine Learning Methods for Predicting Long-Term Mortality in Patients After Cardiac Surgery

Objective:

This study aims to construct and validate several machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict long-term mortality and identify risk factors in unselected patients post-cardiac surgery.

Methods

The Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database was used to perform a retrospective administrative database study. Candidate predictors consisted of the demographics, comorbidity, vital signs, laboratory test results, scoring systems, and treatment information on the first day of ICU admission. Four-year mortality was set as the study outcome. We used the ML methods of logistic regression (LR), artificial neural network (NNET), naïve bayes (NB), gradient boosting machine (GBM), adapting boosting (Ada), random forest (RF), bagged trees (BT), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB). The prognostic capacity and clinical utility of these ML models were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Of 7,368 patients in MIMIC-III included in the final cohort, a total of 1,337 (18.15%) patients died during a 4-year follow-up. Among 65 variables extracted from the database, a total of 25 predictors were selected using recursive feature elimination and included in the subsequent analysis. The Ada model performed best among eight models in both discriminatory ability with the highest AUC of 0.801 and goodness of fit (visualized by calibration curve). Moreover, the DCA shows that the net benefit of the RF, Ada, and BT models surpassed that of other ML models for almost all threshold probability values. Additionally, through the Ada technique, we determined that red blood cell distribution width (RDW), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), SAPS II, anion gap (AG), age, urine output, chloride, creatinine, congestive heart failure, and SOFA were the Top 10 predictors in the feature importance rankings.

Conclusions

The Ada model performs best in predicting 4-year mortality after cardiac surgery among the eight ML models, which might have significant application in the development of early warning systems for patients following operations.

Personalized pathology test for Cardio-vascular disease: Approximate Bayesian computation with discriminative summary statistics learning

Cardio/cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) have become one of the major health issue in our societies. But recent studies show that the present pathology tests to detect CVD are ineffectual as they do not consider different stages of platelet activation or the molecular dynamics involved in platelet interactions and are incapable to consider inter-individual variability. Here we propose a stochastic platelet deposition model and an inferential scheme to estimate the biologically meaningful model parameters using approximate Bayesian computation with a summary statistic that maximally discriminates between different types of patients. Inferred parameters from data collected on healthy volunteers and different patient types help us to identify specific biological parameters and hence biological reasoning behind the dysfunction for each type of patients. This work opens up an unprecedented opportunity of personalized pathology test for CVD detection and medical treatment.

Mean Platelet Volume to Platelet Count Ratio as a Predictor of Mortality in Unstable Pertrochanteric Fracture Treated with Short Proximal Femoral Anterograde Nail

Introduction

The relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PC, MPV/PC) has been studied in detail in various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the MPV/PC ratio in estimating the risk of postoperative mortality in unstable pertrochanteric fractures. In addition, serum biomarkers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) will be compared with the MPV/PC ratio in predicting mortality.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of eligible adult patients with a pertrochanteric fracture who admitted to the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology between January 2011 and December 2019. The MPV/PC ratio was estimated as the MPV value divided by the PC at admission, postoperative day 2, and postoperative day 5 of the surgery. The clinical outcome was 30-day mortality and overall mortality.

Results

We included 447 patients who received unstable pertrochanteric fracture surgery. In multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, higher MPV/PC ratios on admission were significant risk factors for 30-day mortality. In the ROC analysis, MPV/platelet ratio ≥ 0.048 at admission was critical for 30-day mortality (sensitivity 0.636, specificity 0.659, p < 0.001).

Discussion

The MPV/PC ratio alone predicted 30-day mortality in patients with pertrochanteric fracture. Further prospective and multicenter clinical trials supporting our findings and aiming to uncover the reason for the change in blood parameters will help to reduce mortality in unstable pertrochanteric fractures.

Graphical abstract

Prognostic Impact of Red Cell Distribution Width on the Development of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy, Major Adverse Cardiac Events, and Mortality in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Red cell distribution width (RDW) serves as an independent predictor towards the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A systematic search of databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library was performed on October 10th, 2019, to elaborate the relationship between RDW and in hospital and long term follow up, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with CAD undergoing PCI. Twenty-one studies qualified this strict selection criterion (number of patients = 56,425): one study was prospective, and the rest were retrospective cohorts. Our analysis showed that patients undergoing PCI with high RDW had a significantly higher risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality (OR 2.41), long-term all-cause mortality (OR 2.44), cardiac mortality (OR 2.65), MACE (OR: 2.16), and odds of developing CIN (OR: 1.42) when compared to the patients with low RDW. Therefore, incorporating RDW in the predictive models for the development of CIN, MACE, and mortality can help in triage to improve the outcomes in coronary artery disease patients who undergo PCI.

Red blood cell distribution width as a predictor of mortality among patients regularly visiting the nephrology outpatient clinic

The association between increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and mortality among patients treated on an outpatient basis in the nephrology outpatient clinic is unclear. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the association between baseline and time-averaged RDW and mortality risk in patients treated in our nephrology outpatient clinic. Our multi-center retrospective analysis was based on data of 16,417 outpatient nephrology patients with available baseline renal function and RWD values. The median baseline RDW was 13.0% (range, 10.0–32.1%). The high-RDW group was defined as the top quartile (≥ 13.8%, n = 4302). The crude mortality rate was 15.0% (n = 1806) at a median follow-up of 127.5 months. From the results of the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusted for covariates, including eGFR, hemoglobin, and factors of anemia treatment, patients with a high time-averaged RDW had increased mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.505; 95% confidence interval, 1.326–1.708; P < 0.001), irrespective of sex, presence of anemia, and chronic kidney disease, except in individuals aged < 45 years. Thus, increased baseline and time-averaged RDW were significantly associated with increased mortality in patients aged > 45 years treated on an outpatient basis in the nephrology clinic.

The Relationship between Red Cell Distribution Width and Residual SYNTAX Scores in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVE

Residual SYNTAX score (rSS) values have been suggested to serve as an independent predictor of mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Prior work has also indicated that red cell distribution width (RDW) can predict the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in STEMI patients. As such, we sought to explore the relationship between RDW and rSS in STEMI patients that have undergone PCI.

METHODS

In total, 456 eligible patients were recruited for this study. Youden's index was used to calculate the optimal RDW cut-off value, after which the relationship between RDW and rSS values was assessed through Spearman's correlation analyses. Independent predictors of high rSS levels were then identified via multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Patients were separated into two groups based upon whether they exhibited high RDW levels (>13.9, Group 1) or low RDW levels (<13.9, Group 2). The average rSS value of patients in Group 2 was found to be significantly decreased compared to patients in Group 1 (P < 0.001). RDW values were found to be positively correlated with rSS (r = 0.604, P < 0.001), and multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that high RDW levels were independently predictive of higher rSS (OR = 27.1 [14.8-51.7]; P < 0.001). Additionally, a nomogram incorporating RDW exhibited good calibration, discriminative capacity, and clinical utility.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, RDW is strongly correlated with rSS in STEMI patients following PCI, with high RDW levels serving as an independent predictor of high rSS in this patient population.

Role of pre-operative red cell distribution width estimation in the prediction of in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Background

Red cell distribution width (RDW) level is routinely provided in a simple and inexpensive complete blood count report. However, RDW is sometimes overlooked. Recently a higher RDW level is found associated with postoperative mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass. Many risk-prediction tools are available, like the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, etc. but all need improvement for better prediction. So, a new risk-factor should be discovered which is simple enough for clinical use and cost-effective, and improves the risk assessment tools that help to predict and avoid preventable mortality following cardiac surgery.

Methods

The prospective study was conducted, taking a total of 150 patients of coronary artery disease who underwent elective isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass. The study population was grouped according to their preoperative RDW level as Group A (RDW ≤ 14%), Group B (RDW 14–16%), and Group C (RDW ≥ 16%). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed and multivariate regression analysis was done to see the predictive value of RDW for in-hospital mortality.

Results

The mortality rate was 2.7%, N = 150. ROC curve revealed Area Under the Curve 0.841 and p = 0.020 that indicates the RDW as the reliable predictor for in-hospital mortality. Multivariate regression analysis showed the RDW to be the only variable independently predicting in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass among possible haematological predictors. (OR 1.838, 95% CI 1.061–3.186, p = 0.030).

Conclusion

Preoperative raised RDW level is a novel predictor of in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass. Further studies should be done to determine the associated mechanism.

Red Cell Distribution Width and Patient Outcome in Cardiovascular Disease: A ''Real-World'' Analysis

Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in specific scenarios. We aimed to assess the association between RDW and all-cause death and a clinically relevant composite endpoint in a population with various clinical manifestations of cardiovascular diseases. We retrospectively analyzed 700 patients (median age 72.7 years [interquartile range, IQR, 62.6–80]) admitted to the Cardiology ward between January and November 2016. Patients were divided into tertiles according to baseline RDW values. After a median follow-up of 3.78 years (IQR 3.38–4.03), 153 (21.9%) patients died and 247 (35.3%) developed a composite endpoint (all-cause death, acute coronary syndromes, transient ischemic attack/stroke, and/or thromboembolic events). With multivariate Cox regression analysis, the highest RDW tertile was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63–4.56) and of the composite endpoint (adjusted HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.53–3.24). RDW showed a good predictive ability for all-cause death (C-statistics: 0.741, 95% CI 0.694–0.788). In a real-world cohort of patients, we found that higher RDW values were independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause death and clinical adverse cardiovascular events thus proposing RDW as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular patients.

Impact of red blood cell distribution width and mean platelet volume in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

The complete blood cell count is one of the most frequently ordered laboratory tests, and many parameters, including red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV), are available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the combination of RDW and MPV in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention were retrospectively enrolled (n = 229). The association between RDW as well as MPV and cardiovascular events was investigated. The median age was 67 years, and males made up 85% of the sample. Median RDW was 13.6%, and median MPV was 8.2 fL. During a median follow-up period of 528 days (IQR 331.5-920.5), 41 patients died or experienced major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Patients with RDW ≧ 13.7% had more deaths or MACCEs with marginal significance (p = 0.0799). Patients with MPV ≧ 8.3 fL had significantly more deaths or MACCEs (p = 0.0283). Patients with RDW ≧ 13.7% and MPV ≧ 8.3 fL had significantly more deaths or MACCEs (p = 0.0185). MPV was significantly associated with death or adverse events in patients with STEMI who were treated with primary PCI. RDW had only a weak association with death or adverse events. The results of the combination of MPV and RDW were similar to those of MPV.

Role of pre-operative red cell distribution width estimation in the prediction of in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Background

Red cell distribution width (RDW) level is routinely provided in a simple and inexpensive complete blood count report. However, RDW is sometimes overlooked. Recently a higher RDW level is found associated with postoperative mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass. Many risk-prediction tools are available, like the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, etc. but all need improvement for better prediction. So, a new risk-factor should be discovered which is simple enough for clinical use and cost-effective, and improves the risk assessment tools that help to predict and avoid preventable mortality following cardiac surgery.

Methods

The prospective study was conducted, taking a total of 150 patients of coronary artery disease who underwent elective isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass. The study population was grouped according to their preoperative RDW level as Group A (RDW ≤ 14%), Group B (RDW 14–16%), and Group C (RDW ≥ 16%). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed and multivariate regression analysis was done to see the predictive value of RDW for in-hospital mortality.

Results

The mortality rate was 2.7%, N = 150. ROC curve revealed Area Under the Curve 0.841 and p = 0.020 that indicates the RDW as the reliable predictor for in-hospital mortality. Multivariate regression analysis showed the RDW to be the only variable independently predicting in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass among possible haematological predictors. (OR 1.838, 95% CI 1.061–3.186, p = 0.030).

Conclusion

Preoperative raised RDW level is a novel predictor of in-hospital mortality after off-pump coronary artery bypass. Further studies should be done to determine the associated mechanism.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13019-021-01612-w.

New Markers of Platelet Activation and Reactivity and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Objective

Recent studies have shown that the red cell distribution width- (RDW-) to-platelet (PLT) count ratio (i.e., RPR) and the mean platelet volume (MPV)/PLT ratio (i.e. MPR) are more sensitive markers of atherosclerosis-connected risk than RDW and PLT alone. The present study is aimed at investigating the oxidative stress status and these two new markers of platelet activation in two different heart surgery modalities: cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). We also aimed to test the possible relationship between RPR and MPR, respectively, and the severity and complexity of atherosclerotic plaque, measured as Syntax Score. Patients and Methods. A total of 107 patients encompassed this prospective study (i.e., 60 patients in CPB group and 47 patients in OPCAB). Blood samples were drawn at several time intervals: before skin incision (t1), immediately after intervention (t2), 6 h (t3), 24 h (t4), 48 h (t5), and 96 h after cessation of the operation (t6).

Results

The values of RPR and MPR were similar in CPB and OPCAB before surgery and started to rise in t2 (i.e., immediately after the intervention). This increase lasted to t5 (i.e., 48 hours after the intervention), when it became the highest. After that, both markers started to regress about the 96^th hour after the beginning of surgery. Nominal values of both indices were higher in CPB than in OPCAB in all study points after the surgery. Furthermore, a significantly higher level of antioxidative parameters (i.e., total sulfhydryl groups and paraoxonase 1) in the OPCAB group compared to the CPB group was noted at t5 study point (i.e., 48 hours after the surgery), whereas no significant difference was noted in prooxidant levels (i.e., lipid hydroperoxides and advanced oxidation protein products) between these groups at this study point. MPR and RPR correlated positively with Syntax Score at several study points after the surgery completion. Syntax Score, MPR, and RPR showed good clinical accuracy in surgery-related complication prediction ((AUC = 0.736), 95^th CI (0.616-0.856), P = 0.003)).

Conclusion

When combined, MPV, RDW, and platelet count, such as MPR and RPR, could be good predictors of coronary artery disease status, regarding the aspect of joint inflammation, oxidative stress, and thrombosis.

Prognostic Value of the Red Cell Distribution Width in Patients with Sepsis-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective

The prognostic value of the red cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still elusive. This study is aimed at determining whether RDW is a prognostic indicator of sepsis-induced ARDS.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 1161 patients with sepsis-induced ARDS. The datasets were acquired from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. The locally weighted scatter-plot smoothing technique, Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier estimator, and subgroup analysis were carried out to evaluate the association between RDW and 90-day mortality.

Results

The RDW and mortality had a roughly linear increasing relationship. The Cox regression model results were as follows: for level 2 (14.5% < RDW < 16.2%), hazard ratio (HR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.77, and for level 3 (RDW ≥ 16.2%), HR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.59–2.69. The following results were obtained when RDW was treated as a continuous variable: HR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.06–1.15. The P values of the interaction between the RDW and covariates were greater than 0.05.

Conclusion

RDW is a new independent prognostic marker for patients with sepsis-induced ARDS.

A Fast and Reliable Method to Interpret Short-Term Mortality in Perforated Peptic Ulcer: Red Cell Distribution Width is Sensitive and Specific

Introduction

Peptic ulcer is an important health problem worldwide with a prevalence of around 5%. Peptic ulcer perforation is a potentially mortal complication of peptic ulcer disease. We aimed to investigate the potential use of red cell distribution width as a prognostic marker in peptic ulcer perforation.

Methods

The files, operation notes, biochemical and hematological parameters, and prognosis of patients who were operated for a peptic ulcer perforation were reviewed in a retrospective cohort study. The relation of red cell distribution width (RDW) to main outcome in-hospital mortality was assessed.

Results

The mean age of the 172 patients was 40 ± 17.89. There were 158 (92%) males and 14 (8%) females. The in-hospital mortality was 8.7% (15/172). The median RDW in the group with mortality was 15.00 (interquartile range (IQR): 14.30–17.20) compared with the median RDW in the group with no mortality as 13.2 (IQR: 12.80–14.00, p ≤ 0.001). Receiver operator characteristic curves were plotted for RDW to identify nonsurvivors and yielded a significant area under the curve as 0.812 (95% confidence interval: 0.682–0.942). The sensitivity and specificity of RDW at a cutoff value of 14.25% were calculated with an accuracy of 81.98 (95% confidence interval: 75.40–87.41) as 80.00 (51.91–95.67) and 82.17 (75.27–87.81), respectively.

Conclusion

Increased RDW may be of use to interpret mortality in patients with peptic ulcer perforation.

Red blood cell distribution width is associated with hypoperfusion in carotid endarterectomy under regional anesthesia

BACKGROUND

A subset of patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy under regional anesthesia develop intraoperative neurologic deficit during carotid artery crossclamping related to critical cerebral perfusion, which may be owing to low flow or embolic phenomena. This subgroup is deemed prone to worse outcomes, which highlights its clinical relevance. The main aim of this study was to identify clinical and hematological predictors for intraoperative neurologic deficit. The secondary aim was to evaluate the perioperative prognostic value of postcarotid artery crossclamping manifestations of cerebral ischemia.

METHODS

Between January 2012 to January 2020, patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy under regional anesthesia in a tertiary referral center who presented intraoperative neurologic deficit were prospectively and consecutively included. This group constituted 8% of the total carotid endarterectomy performed in the center during this timeframe. The control group of patients was the subsequent patient submitted to carotid endarterectomy without intraoperative neurologic deficit in a 1:1 ratio. Blood samples were collected before surgery (<2 weeks). Propensity score matching was used to identify well-matched pairs of patients.

RESULTS

A total of 180 patients were included, with 90 (50% of the cohort and 8% of total carotid endarterectomies) presenting intraoperative neurologic deficit associated to clamping. Mean age was 71.4 ± 9.27 years in the study group and 68.8 ± 8.36 years in the control group. The clinical variables presenting significance after multivariate analysis include: age (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04, 5-95% confidence interval, [1.003-1.078]; P = .034), obesity (adjusted odds ratio: 3.537 [1.445-8.658]; P = .006), lower ipsilateral carotid stenosis grade (adjusted odds ratio: 0.725 [0.525-0.997]; P = .049), and higher contralateral carotid stenosis grade (adjusted odds ratio: 1.266 [1.057-1.516]; P = .010). Red cell distribution width coefficient of variation demonstrated statistical significance in predicting intraoperative neurologic deficit with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.394 (1.076-1.805); P = .012. The 30-day stroke rate was significantly higher in the intraoperative neurologic deficit group, with an adjusted odds ratio of 5.13 (5-95% confidence interval [1.058-24.87]; P = .042) after propensity score matching. Postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥2) were also associated with intraoperative neurologic deficit (after propensity score matching adjusted odds ratio of 2.748 [5-95% confidence interval, 0.976-7.741]; P = .051).

CONCLUSION

In this study, increased red cell distribution width coefficient of variation demonstrated value to predict intraoperative neurologic deficit. Additionally, age, obesity, a lower degree of ipsilateral carotid stenosis, and a higher degree of contralateral carotid stenosis also demonstrated ability to predict intraoperative neurologic deficit. Moreover, intraoperative neurologic deficit was an independent risk factor for 30-day stroke and postoperative complications Clavien-Dindo ≥2.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width as a 5-Year Prognostic Marker in Patients Submitted to Carotid Endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE

Patients submitted to carotid artery endarterectomy (CEA) have a long-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of 6-9% at 2 years. Hematological parameters have been shown to have a predictive function in atherosclerotic diseases, namely the red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV). This parameter has been associated with worse outcomes such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality. This study aims to evaluate the potential role of preoperative hematologic parameters such as RDW-CV in predicting perioperative and long-term cardiovascular adverse events and mortality in patients submitted to CEA.

METHODS

From January 2012 to January 2019, 180 patients who underwent CEA with regional anesthesia in a tertiary care and referral center were selected from a prospective cohort database. Blood samples were collected preoperatively 2 weeks before admission, including a full blood count. The primary outcome included long-term MACE. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke, MI, acute heart failure, and major adverse limb events (MALE).

RESULTS

At baseline, 27.2% of patients had increased RDW-CV. Increased RDW-CV was independently associated with baseline hemoglobin (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.715, 95% CI 0.588-0.869, p = 0.001) and atrial fibrillation (aOR 4.028, 95% CI 1.037-15.639, p = 0.001). After a median follow-up of 50 months, log-rank univariate analysis of RDW-CV demonstrated a significant association between increased RDW-CV and long-term all-cause mortality (log-rank <0.001), MACE (log-rank <0.001), and MI (log-rank = 0.017). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, increased RDW-CV was associated with increased long-term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.455, 95% CI 1.231-4.894, p = 0.011) and MACE (aHR 2.047, 95% CI 1.202-3.487, p = 0.008). A decreased hemoglobin to platelet ratio (aHR 2.650e-8, 95% CI 9.049e-15 to 0.078, p = 0.019) was also associated with all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

RDW is a widely available and low-cost marker that independently predicts long-term mortality, MACE, and MI after CEA. This biomarker could prove useful in assessing which patients would likely benefit from CEA in the long term.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Is Associated with Deterioration of Renal Function and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease

We sought to investigate the possible association between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW), vascular calcification, oxidative stress and renal function and all-cause/cardiovascular (CV) mortality, CV events and progression of kidney disease in a cohort of patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and oxidized low-density cholesterol were measured in 104 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients with established DKD, distributed in all five stages of kidney disease and 38 diabetics with normal renal function. All patients were followed for 7 years with end-points all-cause and CV mortality, CV events and progression to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). RDW was positively correlated with diabetes duration (r = 0.19, p = 0.023) and albuminuria (r = 0.29, p = 0.002). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that RDW was a strong, independent predictor of cIMT value (β = 0.031, p = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models revealed that after adjustment for several cofounders, RDW was a significant and independent predictor for all-cause mortality, CV mortality, CV event and progression to ESRD (HR 1.75, p = 0.001, HR 2.03, p = 0.001, HR = 1.66, p < 0.0001 and HR 2.14, p = 0.001 respectively). RDW predicts mortality, CV events and deterioration of renal function in DKD, probably reflecting atherosclerosis.

Spherization of red blood cells and platelet margination in COPD patients

Red blood cells (RBCs) in pathological situations undergo biochemical and conformational changes, leading to alterations in rheology involved in cardiovascular events. The shape of RBCs in volunteers and stable and exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was analyzed. The effects of RBC spherization on platelet transport (displacement in the flow field caused by their interaction with RBCs) were studied in vitro and by numerical simulations. RBC spherization was observed in COPD patients compared with volunteers. In in vitro experiments at a shear rate of 100 s^-1 , treatment of RBCs with neuraminidase induced greater sphericity, which mainly affected platelet aggregates without changing aggregate size. At 400 s^-1 , neuraminidase treatment changes both the size of the aggregates and the number of platelet aggregates. Numerical simulations indicated that RBC spherization induces an increase of the platelet mean square displacement, which is traditionally linked to the platelet diffusion coefficient. RBCs of COPD patients are more spherical than healthy volunteers. Experimentally, RBC spherization induces increased platelet transport to the wall. Additional studies are needed to understand the link between the effect of RBCs on platelet transport and the increased cardiovascular events observed in COPD patients.

CHANGES IN THE MORPHOLOGIC STATE OF RED BLOOD CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH POLYTRAUMA

The measurement of RBC indices is of particular importance as an indirect intermediate component of the recovery process after exposure to hypoxia, ischemia, hypothermia in patients with traumatic disease due to polytrauma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters of the morphologic state of red blood cells as a reaction of patients with traumatic disease. Materials and methods.A prospective study was carried out evaluation of 120 patients suffering from polytrauma. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the principle of using additional substances as a part of IC. The parameters of morphologic state of red blood cells were studied. Results and discussion. The course of acute and early periods of traumatic disease has accompanied variability morphological forms of red blood cells, as evidenced by a decrease in MCV and RDW increased levels of the 3rd to 5th day. The optimized therapy used in the treatment of patients, has a positive effect on the parameters of red blood cells, contributes to a better recovery of red blood cells after hypoxia resulting multiple trauma. Conclusion. The study has demonstrated variations in the morphologic properties of red blood cells in the acute and early period of traumatic disease, as confirmed by pathological changes of the erythrocyte indices. The administration of the proposed therapy with the use of D-fructose-1.6-diphosphate sodium salt of hydrate has a positive effect on the parameters of red blood cells, contributes to a better recovery after hypoxia resulting multiple trauma. Given this, the calculations of the red blood cell indices may carry additional diagnostic information, which allows identify trends for not obvious pathological changes and quality of treatment.

The association between RDW and survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Simple, cheap and convenient?

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of red-cell distribution width (RDW) on the overall survival (OS) of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue.

Background

Development of cancer is connected with an ongoing inflammatory process which is reflected by laboratory indices, such as RDW that can be used as prognostic tools.

Material and methods

The study group consists of 74 consecutive patients treated with radical radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy for SSC of the tongue at one institution between 2005-2014. RDW was assessed based on routine blood tests done before the start of the treatment. ROC curve was applied to assess value of RDW in prediction of OS, and a cut-off value for further tests was obtained using the Younden index. The survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank testing and Cox regression model.

Results

The AUC for RDW in ROC analysis was 0.703, and the optimal cut-off value was 13.5%. 5-year OS was significantly lower in patients with RDW ≥ 13.5% compared with patients with RDW < 13.5% (67% vs. 26%, p-value = 0.0005). Additionally, high RDW was associated with a greater odds ratio for 5-year OS in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (3.43, 1.62-7.25; p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that pre-treatment RDW ≥ 13,5% is an indicator of poor overall survival in patients with SCC of the tongue. Since RDW is a cheap and convenient marker, usually routinely assessed during complete blood count tests, it could be further used as an additional prognostic tool in patients with tongue cancers.

The Effect of Red Cell Distribution Width Admission Value on the Outcome of Patients with First-ever ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction in Basrah

Background Red cell distribution width (RDW) reflects the volumetric heterogeneity of red blood cells (RBCs) and has proven to be a prognostic predictor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study aims to evaluate the effect of the RDW admission value on the outcome of patients with STEMI. Materials and methods This is a cross-sectional observational study on (207) patients with first-ever STEMI, grouped according to their baseline RDW and thrombolysis eligibility into two groups. We calculated the in-hospital Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score within 48 hours of presentation. Results The study demonstrated the impact of RDW on the primary STEMI outcomes (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%), ST-resolution, arrhythmias, and cardiovascular mortality risk). It was nearly a gender-matched study, with a mean RDW of 14.20±1.86%. RDW>14% and age≥65 years were the strongest statistically significant independent predictors of STEMI outcome with LVEF % < 45%, ST-resolution, and CV mortality regardless of thrombolysis. The thrombolysis offers a logical significant negative relation with CV mortality. At the same time, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and smoking may cause an additional mortality burden, especially in elderly patients with high RDW who are not eligible for thrombolysis. There was a significant association between high GRACE to high RDW, with excellent specificity and sensitivity in predicting CV outcome. Conclusion The RDW is a simple to acquire index, with a good prognostic prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and CV mortality in the STEMI patients. It is excellent in predicting STEMI outcomes, especially the response to thrombolysis.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and long-term mortality among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with previous history of cancer

Background: The number of patients suffering from coronary heart disease with cancer is rising. There is scarce evidence concerning the biomarkers related to prognosis among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with cancer. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and prognosis in this population.Methods: A total of 172 patients undergoing PCI with previous history of cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study. The endpoint was long-term all-cause mortality. According to tertiles of RDW, the patients were classified into three groups: Tertile 1 (RDW <12.8%), Tertile 2 (RDW ≥12.8% and <13.5%) and Tertile 3 (RDW ≥13.5%).Results: During an average follow-up period of 33.3 months, 29 deaths occurred. Compared with Tertile 3, mortality of Tertile 1 and Tertile 2 was significantly lower in the Kaplan-Meier analysis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, RDW remained an independent risk factor of mortality (HR: 1.938, 95% CI: 1.295-2.655, p < 0.001). The all-cause mortality in Tertile 3 was significantly higher than that in Tertile 1 (HR: 5.766; 95% CI: 1.426-23.310, p = 0.014).Conclusions: An elevated RDW level (≥13.5%) was associated with long-term all-cause mortality among patients undergoing PCI with previous history of cancer.

Association Between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Outcomes of Open Airway Reconstruction Surgery in Adults

Importance

Airway reconstruction for adults with laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) is directed toward improving airway caliber to mitigate the patient's dyspnea and achieve prosthesis-free breathing (ie, without tracheostomy, intraluminal stent, or T-tube). Despite the importance of preoperative risk stratification to minimize postoperative complications, consensus on an objective predictive algorithm for open airway reconstruction is lacking.

Objective

To determine whether the ability to achieve a prosthesis-free airway in adults after open airway reconstruction is associated with red blood cell distribution width (RDW) at the time of surgery.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Case series study investigating 92 consecutive patients 18 years and older with laryngotracheal stenosis who underwent open airway reconstruction at a US tertiary care hospital from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2017.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was a prosthesis-free airway (absence of tracheostomy, intraluminal stent, or T-tubes) at last follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify independent factors associated with this outcome.

Results

Of the 92 patients who met inclusion criteria, the median (interquartile range) age was 44 (33.0-60.3) years; 50 (53%) were female, and 82 (89%) were white. In all, 74 patients (80%) were prosthesis free at the last follow-up (mean, 833 days; 95% CI, 10-4229 days). In multivariate analyses, airway decannulation was significantly correlated with reduced RDW (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.84) and the absence of posterior glottic stenosis (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.37).

Conclusions and Relevance

These data suggest that surgical success in open airway reconstruction is significantly associated with RDW and whether the patient had posterior glottic stenosis. The RDW is a routine laboratory parameter that may provide some insight to the preoperative probability of prosthesis removal, facilitate risk stratification, promote informed patient decision making, and optimize health care resource management.

A Predictive Model for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Mortality Using Red Cell Distribution Width

Methods

This observational retrospective cohort study includes 318 ARDS patients extracted from an ICU database between the years of 2001 and 2008. Clinical factors including age, gender, comorbidity score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio were chosen for the base model to predict ICU mortality. The RDW value at the time of ARDS diagnosis was added to the base model to determine if it improved its predictive ability.

Results

318 subjects were included; 113 (36%) died in the ICU. AUC for the base model without RDW was 0.76, and 0.78 following the addition of RDW [p=0.048]. The NRI was 0.46 (p=0.001), indicating that, in 46% of patients, the predictive probability of the model was improved by the inclusion of RDW.

Conclusions

Adding RDW at time of ARDS diagnosis improved discrimination in a model using 4 clinical factors to predict ICU mortality.

Usefulness of Red Cells Distribution Width to Predict Worse Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Red cells distribution width (RDW) is a measure of red cell size variability, but little is known about the relation between RDW and outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF).The aims of our study were to evaluate the association between RDW values, AF patients' profile and outcomes. Consecutive patients with ECG-confirmed AF were divided in 3 groups according to tertiles of RDW values (≤13.5%, 13.6% to 14.6%, >14.6%).We enrolled 457 patients, 61.9% males, median (interquartile range) age 74 (66 to 80). Both CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores increased progressively according to RDW tertiles. During follow-up, there was an increased risk for all-cause death and the composite end point in the highest RDW tertile (p <0.001 for both outcomes). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the highest RDW tertile was independently associated with all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 3.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04 to 10.00) and the composite end point (HR 2.04, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.70). RDW as a continuous variable was also independently associated with all cause death and the composite outcome (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31 and HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.27, respectively). In conclusion, in a real-life AF population, RDW is associated with clinical factors indicating a worse profile and is independently associated with increased risks of all-cause death and other clinical events.

The erythrocyte membrane stability is associated with sleep time and social jetlag in shift workers

The osmotic stability of the erythrocyte membrane (OSEM) has been associated with changes in lipid profile, blood glucose and blood pressure. Changes in these parameters are very frequent in shift workers, possibly because of the lack of synchronization of biological rhythms, which results in the social jetlag. However, the existence of association between OSEM and circadian misalignment has not been investigated in this population. Therefore, this study investigated whether shift work, sleep time and social jetlag (SJL) are associated with biochemical and hematological variables. A population consisting of 79 men working at night (n = 37) or during the day (n = 42), aged between 21 and 65 years and with a mean BMI of 27.56 ± 4.0 kg/m², was investigated cross-sectionally in relation to sleep time, SJL, anthropometric (height, weight and waist circumference) and blood variables, with emphasis on the OSEM. SJL was calculated by the absolute difference between the midpoint of sleep on work and rest days. The Generalized Linear Model (GzLM) was used to investigate the existence of associations between SJL and average sleep time in relation to the analyzed variables. Workers without SJL presented lower baseline lysis values of erythrocytes in isotonic medium in relation to workers with SJL. In addition, workers who slept on average less than 6 hours had higher OSEM, and higher total and LDL-cholesterol in relation to those who slept more than 6 hours, regardless of the shift. It is possible that the association of sleep deprivation and SJL with erythrocyte membrane stability is mediated through changes in the lipid profile.

Correlation Between Red Cell Distribution Width and Peripheral Vascular Disease Severity and Complexity

A traditional hematological marker, red cell distribution width (RDW), is accepted as a novel marker of atherosclerotic vascular diseases. Clinical importance of the RDW as a prognostic biomarker in peripheral vascular disease (PVD) has been reported in a few studies. Herein, we aimed to show the correlation between RDW and PVD severity and its complexity in terms of angiographic evaluation. A total of 118 patients who underwent peripheral lower extremity angiography were subsequently evaluated retrospectively. Upon admission, RDW level was measured with automated complete blood count. Severity and complexity of the PVD was evaluated according to Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC II) classification. A TASC II A-B lesion was defined as simple PVD, and a TASC II C-D lesion was defined as prevalent and complex PVD. Then, both groups were compared statistically according to clinical, laboratory, and demographic features, including RDW levels. In 49.6% of the patients, TASC II C-D lesions were observed. Advanced age, male gender, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with TASC II groups. Red cell distribution width levels were correlated with presence of PVD, as well as TASC II grades (p:0.02). The fourth quartile (75th percentile) of the RDW levels was 14.1, and patients with RDW levels ≥14.1 had a more significant correlation with the presence and severity of PVD (p:0.001). In the multivariate regression analysis, elevated RDW was found to be an independent predictor of the presence of PVD and also TASC II C-D lesions (OR:2.26, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.051-0.774; p:0.02). Elevated RDW levels was associated with TASC II C-D lesions, which indicated more prevalent and complex PVD.

Predicting of neuropsychosis in carbon monoxide poisoning according to the plasma troponin, COHb, RDW and MPV levels: Neuropsychoses in carbon monoxide poisoning

OBJECTIVE

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is very common worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictivity of neuro psychosis in carbon monoxide poisoning by the admission levels of red cell distribution (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV) and troponin I levels which can be measured quickly and easily in the emergency department (ED).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This single center observational study included a total of 216 consecutive patients who presented to the ED due to CO poisoning between January 2009 and December 2013. The diagnosis of CO poisoning was made according to the medical history and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of >5%. According to the carboxyhemoglobin levels, the patients were classified as mildly (COHb < 20%) and severely poisoned (COHb > 20%). In addition, patients were divided into 2 groups, i.e., those with positive (>0.05 ng/mL for our laboratory) and negative (<0.05 ng/mL for our laboratory) troponin levels.

RESULTS

Patients mean age was 52.58 ± 10.58. 57.9% of the patients had high troponin levels and 51.9% were poisoned severely according to COHb levels. Patients with positive troponin and COHb had longer CO exposure time and higher neutrophil, lymphocyte, mean platelet volume (MPV), COHb and red cell distribution width (RDW) levels at the index admission following CO poisoning than patients with negative troponin (p < 0.05). Age, COHb level, CO exposure time, MPV and RDW (p = 0.001, p < 0.05) remained associated with an increased risk of troponin positivity following adjustment for the variables that were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients presenting to the ED with CO poisoning, RDW and MPV can be helpful for risk stratification of neuropsychosis.

Red blood cell distribution width as long-term prognostic markers in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study (CORFCHD-PCI, [Identifier: ChiCTR-INR-16010153]) of 6050 patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) and treated with PCI from January 2008 to December 2016 were enrolled in the study. The primary outcome was long-term mortality after PCI. Clinical follow-up data of participating patients were obtained during an outpatient examination 35.9 ± 22.6 months after PCI. Demographic and clinical data and admission laboratory parameters were recorded, and patients were categorized into two groups according to RDW level (high group ≥13.1%; low group < 13.1%).

Results

Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed RDW as an independent prognosis factor for cardiac death. The incidence of cardiac death increased 1.33 times in patients in the high RDW group (HR, 1.331; 95% CI, 1.009–1.755, P = 0.043). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis suggested that patients with high RDW tended to have an increased accumulated risk of cardiac death. However, we did not found significant differences in the incidence of long-term mortality (adjusted HR = 1.203[0.941–1.537], P = 0.140), MACCE (adjusted HR = 1.128[0.979–1.301], P = 0.096), MACE (adjusted HR = 1.155[0.994–1.341], P = 0.059), stroke, bleeding events or readmission between the two groups.

Conclusion

The baseline level of RDW is an independent predictor for cardiac death in post-PCI CAD patients.

Unbiased Phenome-Wide Association Studies of Red Cell Distribution Width Identifies Key Associations with Pulmonary Hypertension

Rationale: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a prognostic factor in many diseases; however, its clinical utility remains limited because the relative value of RDW as a biomarker across disease states has not been established. Objectives: To establish an unbiased RDW disease hierarchy to guide the clinical use of RDW and to assess its relationship to cardiovascular hemodynamic and structural parameters. Methods: We performed phenome-wide association studies for RDW in discovery and replication cohorts derived from a deidentified electronic health record in nonanemic individuals. RDW values obtained within 30 days of echocardiogram or right heart catheterization were tested for association with structural and hemodynamic variables. Results: RDW was associated with 263 phenotypes in both men and women in the discovery cohort (n = 121,530), 48 of which replicated in an independent cohort (n = 2,039). The strongest associations were observed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-2.3), chronic pulmonary heart disease (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.9-2.2), and congestive heart failure (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.8-2.0); P < 1 × 10-74 for all. By echocardiography, RDW was higher in the setting of right ventricular dysfunction than left ventricular dysfunction (P < 0.001). Measured invasively, mean pulmonary arterial pressure was associated with RDW (21 vs. 33 mm Hg at 25th vs. 75th percentile RDW; P < 1 × 10-7) and remained strongly significant even when controlling for mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (21 vs. 29 mm Hg at 25th vs. 75th percentile RDW; P < 1 × 10-7). Conclusions: Among 1,364 coded medical conditions, increased RDW was strongly associated with pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic phenotyping confirmed these associations and underscored that the most clinically relevant phenotype associated with RDW was pulmonary hypertension. These hypothesis-generating findings highlight the potential shared pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension and elevated RDW. Elevated RDW in the absence of anemia should alert clinicians to the potential for underlying cardiopulmonary disease.

A single preoperative blood test predicts postoperative sepsis and pneumonia after coronary bypass or open aneurysm surgery

BACKGROUND

Major surgery comes with a high risk for postoperative inflammatory complications. Preoperative risk scores predict mortality risk but fail to identify patients at risk for complications following cardiovascular surgery. We therefore assessed the value of preoperative red cell distribution width (RDW) as a predictor for pneumonia and sepsis after cardiovascular surgery and studied the relation of RDW with hematopoietic tissue activity.

METHODS

RDW is an easily accessible, yet seldomly used parameter from routine haematology measurements. RDW was extracted from the Utrecht Patient Orientated Database (UPOD) for preoperative measurements in patients undergoing open abdominal aortic anuerysm repair (AAA)(N = 136) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)(N = 2193). The cohorts were stratified in tertiles to assess effects over the different groups. Generalized Linear Models were used to determine associations between RDW and postoperative inflammatory complications. Hematopoietic tissue activity was scored using fluor-18-(18F)-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography and associated with RDW using linear regression models.

RESULTS

In total, 43(31.6%) and 73 patients (3.3%) suffered from inflammatory complications after AAA-repair or CABG, respectively; the majority being pneumonia in both cohorts. Postoperative inflammatory outcome incidence increased from 19.6% in the lowest to 48.9% in the highest RDW tertile with a corresponding risk ratio (RR) of 2.35 ([95%CI:1.08-5.14] P = 0.032) in AAA patients. In the CABG cohort, the incidence of postoperative inflammatory outcomes increased from 1.8% to 5.3% with an adjusted RR of 1.95 ([95%CI:1.02-3.75] P = 0.044) for the highest RDW tertile compared with the lowest RDW tertile. FDG-PET scans showed associations of RDW with tissue activity in the spleen (B = 0.517 [P = 0.001]) and the lumbar bone marrow (B = 0.480 [P = 0.004]).

CONCLUSION

Elevated RDW associates with increased risk for postoperative inflammatory complications and hematopoietic tissue activity. RDW likely reflects chronic low-grade inflammation and should be considered to identify patients at risk for postoperative inflammatory complications following cardiovascular surgery.

Red blood distribution width and heart transplantation: any predictive role on patient outcome?

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been emerging as a strong predictor of mortality among patients with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to verify if RDW is able to predict survival after heart transplantation (HTx).

METHODS

Two hundred and eighteen recipients who underwent HTx between 2000 and 2013 were classified into three groups according to the pre-HTx RDW tertile values (14.6 and 16.4%), and their outcomes were compared. Mean follow-up was 6.6 ± 4.2 years.

RESULTS

RDW correlated with other markers of chronic pathological conditions, such as the Index for Mortality Prediction after Cardiac Transplantation (IMPACT) score (P = 0.002) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (P < 0.001), and with creatinine levels (P = 0.007), previous cardiac surgery (P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.02), haemoglobin value (P = 0.004), pulmonary capillary wedge and central venous pressures (P = 0.019 and 0.01, respectively), systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures (P = 0.002 and 0.014, respectively). The rate of 30-day mortality from the lowest to the highest RDW tertile was 1.4, 4 and 9% (P = 0.02), respectively.Long-term mortality correlated at multivariate analysis with recipient age [hazard ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.02-1.09], donor age (hazard ratio 1.02, 95% CI 1.0-1.04) and RDW (hazard ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.23). The survival probability at 4, 8 and 12 years was 90, 84 and 74% for recipients with RDW less than 14.6%, while it was 72, 60 and 42% for recipients with RDW more than 16.4% (hazard ratio 3.29, 95% CI 1.74-6.24). No differences were found between causes of death.

CONCLUSION

RDW correlated with survival in HTx recipients. This marker of blood cell size may represent a surrogate of disease and a helpful tool in the risk-assessment process.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Relevance of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width for Vascular Aging and Cardiovascular Diseases

Evidence suggests association of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). On the contrary, we underline that the sole RDW values cannot represent a valid CVD biomarker. High RDW values are expression of biological effects of a lot of both endogenous and exogenous factors (i.e., age, sex, genetic background, inflammation, hormones, drugs, diet, exercise, hematological analyzers, and ranges of values), modulating the biology and physiology of erythrocytes. Thus, the singular monitoring of RDW cannot be used to predict cardiovascular disorders. Accordingly, we have reviewed the evidence for potential relationship of RDW values with alterations in the cardiovascular system (i.e., regenerative capacity, endothelial turnover, and senescence of cardiovascular cells), associated with vascular aging and disease. In addition, we highlight the inevitable impact of biases in clinical application of RDW related to CVDs. Based on our thorough review of literature, we suggest a combined evaluation of RDW with other emerging biomarkers related to vascular aging and the diagnosis and prognosis of CVDs, including telomere length of leukocytes, circulating nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in future large scale studies.

The Association of Unreported Sleep Disturbances and Systemic Inflammation: Findings from the 2005-2008 NHANES

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Sleep apnea is associated with elevated inflammatory markers. A subgroup of patients never report sleep disturbances to their physician. The inflammatory status of this subgroup is not known. The present study aims to evaluate two inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and red cell distribution width (RDW), in those with unreported sleep disturbances and compares these findings to those with and without reported sleep disorders. We also investigate the utility of RDW as an inflammatory marker in sleep disorders.

METHODS

Sample includes 9,901 noninstitutionalized, civilian, nonpregnant adults from the 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative, cross-sectional U.S. study. Sleep questionnaire and laboratory data were used to compare inflammatory markers (CRP and RDW) in five subgroups of individuals: reporting physician-diagnosed sleep apnea, reporting another physician-diagnosed sleep disorder, reported sleep disturbance to physician with no resulting diagnosis, unreported sleep disturbance (poor sleep quality not reported to physician), and no diagnosed sleep disorder or sleep disturbance.

RESULTS

Individuals with unreported sleep disturbance had significantly higher odds of elevated RDW (>13.6%) when compared to those without a sleep disturbance in adjusted models (OR=1.33). Those with unreported sleep disturbance had significantly higher odds of elevated CRP levels (>1 mg/L) than those without sleep disturbances (OR 1.34), although the association was not significant when adjusted for obesity and other controls.

CONCLUSION

Self-identified unreported sleep disturbances are associated with significantly higher odds of elevated RDW than those without sleep disturbances. RDW may serve as a valuable indicator in identifying individuals at higher risk for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

No associations exists between red blood cell distribution width and serum uric acid in both sexes

The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a significant association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and uric acid (UA) in a large Chinese population.This was a cross-sectional study with an enrollment of 80,298 ostensibly healthy participants (48,971 males, 31,327 females) during the period from 2011 to 2015. In the study, database was grouped by sex and the association between RDW and UA was analyzed by quartiles of RDW.UA values between different sexes and RDW subgroups were analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni t tests. Prevalence of hyperuricemia in different sexes was calculated. The relationship between risks of hyperuricemia and RDW level was analyzed by binary logistic regression with or without adjustment for age and body mass index.UA values were not all the same between different sexes and RDW subgroups. Males had significantly higher hyperuricemia prevalence than females (20.00% vs 6.48%, P < .01). In addition, hyperuricemia prevalence in males decreased slightly across RDW quartiles, but was stable in females. No significant association between hyperuricemia risk and RDW was found in both sexes according to the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis. Similarly, negative results were also observed in multivariate linear analysis when both RDW and UA were considered as continuous variable.We could not find any significant relationship between RDW and UA in both sexes.

Red blood cell distribution width predicts long-term outcomes in sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Although some underpowered studies have proven that increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW) may be associated with short-term prognosis of sepsis, the long-term prognostic value of RDW remains largely unknown.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study was based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC III), a large critical care database. Baseline RDW and conventional disease severity scores were extracted along with data on 4-year mortality, of adult patients with severe sepsis upon first admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The prognostic value of RDW was analyzed with Kapan-Meier cure, Cox model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discriminatory index (IDI).

RESULTS

A total of 4264 subjects were included. The area under ROC curve of RDW for predicting 4-year mortality was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.63-0.66). In multivariable Cox model, increased RDW was independently associated with all-cause mortality, irrespective of anemia. With conventional severity scores as reference, RDW had continuous NRI comprised between 0.18 and 0.20, and IDI comprised between 0.30 and 0.40.

CONCLUSION

RDW values significantly predicts long-term all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with severe sepsis beyond conventional severity scores.

The Value of Adding Red Cell Distribution Width to Mehran Risk Score to Predict Contrast-induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a relatively reversible cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) that occurs after radiocontrast media administration. It is a common complication after percutaneous coronary intervention, especially in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study is to determine the utility of red cell distribution width (RDW) in predicting CI-AKI in patients with ACS and to determine the value of adding RDW to the Mehran risk score (MRS) on admission.

Methods: A total of 161 patients who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-STEMI were identified retrospectively between January 2015 and December 2016. Patients were divided into two groups, those who developed CI-AKI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and those who did not.

Results: A total of 161 patients were analyzed. Of them, 12 developed CI-AKI (eight presented with STEMI and four presented with non-STEMI). RDW did not correlate with the development of CI-AKI (14.55 ± 1.48 vs 14.83 ± 1.21; p = 0.072). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) for RDW, MRS, and the combined model (MRS and RDW) for the prediction of CI-AKI were 0.721 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.645 to 0.788; p=0.0024), 0.885 (95% CI, 0.825 to 0.930; p<0.0001), 0.890 (95% CI, 0.831 to 0.933; p<0.0001), respectively. Pairwise comparisons between ROCs for MRS vs the combined model yielded a non-significant p-value of 0.49. This signifies no added benefit for RDW to MRS for predicting CI-AKI.

Conclusion: RDW does not correlate with the development of CI-AKI in patients with ACS. The Mehran risk score remains a better indicator of CI-AKI risk assessment with no role for the addition of RDW to it. Further studies are needed to better assess predictors of CI-AKI in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Relation between changes in red blood cell distribution width after coronary artery bypass grafting and early postoperative morbidity

Background

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is highly associated with various clinical states. In the present study, we aimed to determine the natures of associations between RDW changes and early adverse events after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of enrolled 117 patients. Patients were classified into two groups depending on early adverse events (No-event vs. Event). Delta RDW values were calculated (ΔRDW: Post-Peak RDW minus Pre-RDW). Patients were divided into tertiles based on ΔRDW. The ΔRDW cut-off point for an adverse event was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In addition, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors of early adverse events.

Results

Thirty eight patients experienced 53 early adverse events. ΔRDW and ΔC-reactive protein were significantly higher in the Events group than in the No-event group. Incidences of early adverse events increased significantly between ΔRDW tertiles (P<0.001). The ROC curve of ΔRDW showed that a ΔRDW of ≥1.45 had a sensitivity of 71.1% and a specificity of 78.2% for predicting an early adverse event after CABG (P<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed ΔRDW (P=0.042) and length of ICU stay (P<0.001) independently predicted an adverse event.

Conclusions

ΔRDW was identified to be an independent predictor of early adverse events, and a ΔRDW cut-off of 1.45 was found to predict early adverse events after CABG. Careful monitoring of RDW trends after isolated CABG provides a simple, inexpensive and objective means of predicting early adverse events.