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

Association of hemoglobin-to-red blood cell distribution width ratio and depression in older adults: A cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

The association between hemoglobin-to-red blood cell distribution width ratio (HRR) and the depression in old adults was not clear.

METHODS

We extracted data on depression, general characteristics, lifestyle, medical history, drug use, and blood indicators from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2018 to investigate the relationship between HRR and depression.

RESULTS

A total of 4141 individuals were evaluated, among whom 266 (6.4 %) were identified as having depression. HRR was significantly lower in the low depression group, and Spearman correlation analysis revealed an inverse association between HRR and depression scores (r = -0.148, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that HRR was associated with depression after adjusted for general characteristics, life style, medical history, drug use and blood indicators (P = 0.010). ROC analysis demonstrated that in participants with depression, the area under the curve (AUC) for HRR was 0.612, surpassing both Hb(0.586) and RDW(0.401). These findings were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

LIMITATIONS

Only participants aged 65-79 years are selected for this study and this was a cross-sectional study that can only represent an association between HRR and depression, but not a cause-and-effect relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

HRR, being more potent than Hb or RDW, emerges as an independent risk factor for depression. It has the potential to facilitate early depression detection, aiding in the prevention of clinical deterioration or relapses, and could also serve as a viable treatment target.

In-hospital changes in the red blood cell distribution width and mortality in critically ill patients with heart failure

AIMS

A high red blood cell distribution width (RDW) at admission or discharge is associated with a worse prognosis in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF), and the prognostic value of the in-hospital change in RDW (∆RDW) remains debatable.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included 5514 patients with critical illness and HF from the MIMIC-IV database. The ΔRDW was calculated by the RDW at discharge minus that at admission. Clinical outcomes included all-cause mortality at 90 day, 180 day, and 1 year after discharge. The median age of the patients was 73.91 years, and 46.37% were women. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression analyses were used to examine the association between the ΔRDW and all-cause mortality at different time points. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model showed that the ΔRDW (per 1% increase) was independently associated with all-cause mortality at 90 day, 180 day, and 1 year after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-1.21, P < 0.001; HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.14-1.20, P < 0.001; and HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.15-1.20, P < 0.001, respectively). Restricted cubic splines showed a non-linear relationship between the ΔRDW and the risk of clinical outcomes. High ΔRDW was associated with a high risk of mortality at different time points. A subgroup analysis showed that this positive association remained consistent in pre-specified subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that an increased RDW during hospitalization is independently associated with short- or long-term all-cause mortality in critical-ill patients with HF.

Higher Preoperative Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Increases the Risk of Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery in Advanced-Age Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) has been associated with worse outcomes. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between higher red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and postoperative 30-day MINS among advanced-age patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study including advanced-age patients (≥65 years old) who underwent noncardiac surgery between January 2017 and August 2019 at the First Medical Center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value identified the lowest risk using Restricted Cubic Splines (RCS) model. The primary outcome was the incidence of MINS within 30 days after surgery. The relationship between RDW and MINS was investigated by univariable and multi-variable logistic regression analysis. Propensity score (PS) analysis, including propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW), as well as subgroup analysis were also conducted to identify the effect of RDW.

Results

The result of the RCS analysis showed that the risk of MINS in advanced-age patients increases when the baseline RDW is >12.8%. In the univariate analysis, baseline RDW >12.8% was a risk factor for postoperative MINS [odds ratio (OR)=2.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.83-2.44; p<0.001]. After adjustment for all possible components, there was also a high risk of MINS for patients with elevated RDW [Adjusted OR (aOR)=1.43; 95% CI: 1.27-1.61; p<0.001). The relationship remained after PS analysis (aOR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.04-1.47; p=0.016 in PSM; aOR=1.23; 95% CI: 1.05-1.44; p=0.012 in IPTW, respectively). Significant differences between two groups were established in the incidence rate of postoperative cardiac complications and mortality.

Conclusion

Elevated preoperative RDW is significantly associated with an increased risk of MINS within postoperative 30 days.

DIGItal Health Literacy after COVID-19 Outbreak among Frail and Non-Frail Cardiology Patients: The DIGI-COVID Study

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine requires either the use of digital tools or a minimum technological knowledge of the patients. Digital health literacy may influence the use of telemedicine in most patients, particularly those with frailty. We aimed to explore the association between frailty, the use of digital tools, and patients' digital health literacy.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled patients referred to arrhythmia outpatient clinics of our cardiology department from March to September 2022. Patients were divided according to frailty status as defined by the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) into robust, pre-frail, and frail. The degree of digital health literacy was assessed through the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI), which explores seven digital skill categories measured by 21 self-report questions.

RESULTS

A total of 300 patients were enrolled (36.3% females, median age 75 (66-84)) and stratified according to frailty status as robust (EFS ≤ 5; 70.7%), pre-frail (EFS 6-7; 15.7%), and frail (EFS ≥ 8; 13.7%). Frail and pre-frail patients used digital tools less frequently and accessed the Internet less frequently compared to robust patients. In the logistic regression analysis, frail patients were significantly associated with the non-use of the Internet (adjusted odds ratio 2.58, 95% CI 1.92-5.61) compared to robust and pre-frail patients. Digital health literacy decreased as the level of frailty increased in all the digital domains examined.

CONCLUSIONS

Frail patients are characterized by lower use of digital tools compared to robust patients, even though these patients would benefit the most from telemedicine. Digital skills were strongly influenced by frailty.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Prognostic Role, Controversies and Dilemmas

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), an integral parameter of the complete blood count (CBC), has been traditionally used for the classification of several types of anemia. However, over the last decade RDW has been associated with outcome in patients with several cardiovascular diseases including heart failure. The role of RDW in acute, chronic and advanced heart failure is the focus of the present work. Several pathophysiological mechanisms of RDW’s increase in heart failure have been proposed (i.e., inflammation, oxidative stress, adrenergic stimulation, undernutrition, ineffective erythropoiesis, reduced iron mobilization, etc.); however, the exact mechanism remains unknown. Although high RDW values at admission and discharge have been associated with adverse prognosis in hospitalized heart failure patients, the prognostic role of in-hospital RDW changes (ΔRDW) remains debatable. RDW has been incorporated in recent heart failure prognostic models. Utilizing RDW as a treatment target in heart failure may be a promising area of research.