Red blood cell distribution width: A severity indicator in patients with COVID-19.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was frequently assessed in COVID-19 infection and reported to be associated with adverse outcomes. However, there was no consensus regarding the optimal cutoff value for RDW. Records of 98 patients with COVID-19 from the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou were reviewed. They were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value for RDW on admission by receiver operator characteristic curve analysis: ≤11.5% (n = 50) and >11.5% (n = 48). The association of RDW with the severity and outcomes of COVID-19 was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the RDW was a good discrimination factor for identifying COVID-19 severity (area under the curve = 0.728, 95% CI: 0.626-0.830, p < 0.001). Patients with RDW > 11.5% more frequently suffered from critical COVID-19 than those with RDW ≤ 11.5% (62.5% vs. 26.0%, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed RDW to be an independent predictor for critical illness due to COVID-19 (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.27-4.55, p = 0.007). A similar result was obtained when we included RDW > 11.5% into another model instead of RDW as a continuous variable (OR = 5.41, 95% CI: 1.53-19.10, p = 0.009). RDW, as an inexpensive and routinely measured parameter, showed promise as a predictor for critical illness in patients with COVID-19 infection. RDW > 11.5% could be the optimal cutoff to discriminate critical COVID-19 infection.

The effect of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury in elderly patients undergoing valve replacement surgery.

PURPOSES: The effects of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury (AKI) remain controversial, and current clinical evidence regarding statin use in the elderly undergoing valve replacement surgery (VRS) is insufficient. The present study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative statin treatment and AKI after VRS in the elderly. METHODS: Three thousand seven hundred ninety-one elderly patients (≥ 60 years) undergoing VRS were included in this study and divided into 2 groups, according to the receipt of statin treatment before the operation: statin users (n = 894) and non-users (n = 2897). We determined the associations between statin use, AKI, and other adverse events using a multivariate model and propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: After propensity score-matched analysis, there was no difference between statin users and non-users in regard to postoperative AKI (72.5% vs. 72.4%, p = 0.954), in-hospital death (5.7% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.650) and 1-year mortality (log-rank = 0, p = 0.986). The multivariate analysis showed that statin use was not an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.90-1.17, p = 0.733), in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.75-1.68, p = 0.568), or 1-year mortality (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.70-1.28, p = 0.715). CONCLUSION: Preoperative statin treatment did not significantly affect the risk of AKI among elderly patients undergoing VRS.

Optimal threshold of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) for predicting long-term cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality.

PURPOSE: Traditional cutoff values of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) for predicting mortality have recently been challenged. In this study, we investigated the optimal threshold of UACR for predicting long-term cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in the general population. METHODS: Data for 25,302 adults were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2014). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of UACR for cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality. A Cox regression model was established to examine the association between UACR and cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality. X-tile was used to estimate the optimal cutoff of UACR. RESULTS: The UACR had acceptable predictive value for both cardiovascular (AUC (95% CI) for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year mortality, respectively: 0.769 (0.711-0.828), 0.764 (0.722-0.805) and 0.763 (0.730-0.795)) and non-cardiovascular (AUC (95% CI) for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year mortality, respectively: 0.772 (0.681-0.764), 0.708 (0.686-0.731) and 0.708 (0.690-0.725)) mortality. The optimal cutoff values were 16 and 30 mg/g for predicting long-term cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, respectively. Both cutoffs of UACR had acceptable specificity (0.785-0.891) in predicting long-term mortality, while the new proposed cutoff (16 mg/g) had higher sensitivity. The adjusted hazard ratios of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality for the high-risk group were 2.50 (95% CI 1.96-3.18, P < 0.001) and 1.92 (95% CI 1.70-2.17, P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the traditional cutoff value (30 mg/g), a UACR cutoff of 16 mg/g may be more sensitive for identifying patients at high risk for cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Corrigendum: Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Hypertensive Patients in a Community Setting.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.822376.].

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Hypertensive Patients in a Community Setting.

Background: Malnutrition is a significantly poor prognostic factor for a variety of cardiovascular diseases. However, its prevalence and prognostic value in hypertensive patients is still unclear. The present study sought to determine the prevalence and prognostic value of malnutrition in hypertensive patients in a community setting. Methods: We included 9,949 hypertensive patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005-2014). The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and the Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) were applied to assess the nutritional status of participants. A Cox regression model was established to examine the association between malnutrition and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Results: In all, 19.9, 3.9, and 82.9% hypertensive patients were considered to have malnutrition as evaluated by the CONUT, NRI, and NPS, respectively. Malnutrition assessed by CONUT and NRI was independently associated with cardiovascular mortality (HR [95% CI]) for mild and moderate-to-severe degree of malnutrition, respectively: 1.41 (1.04-1.91) and 5.79 (2.34-14.29) for CONUT; 2.60 (1.34-5.07) and 3.30 (1.66-6.56) for NRI (all P < 0.05), and for all-cause mortality (HR [95% CI]) for mild and moderate-to-severe degree of malnutrition, respectively: 1.48 (1.30-1.70) and 4.87 (3.40-6.98) for CONUT; 1.72 (1.24-2.39) and 2.60 (1.96-3.44) for NRI (all P < 0.01). Naples Prognostic Score could only independently predict all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Malnutrition was common among hypertensive patients and was closely associated with both long-term cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Mortality Risk in Elderly Patients Undergoing Valve Replacement Surgery: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: The prognostic value of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in elderly patients is controversial. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the preoperative LDL-C and adverse outcomes in elderly patients undergoing valve replacement surgery (VRS). Methods: A total of 2,552 aged patients (age ≥ 60 years) undergoing VRS were retrospectively recruited and divided into two groups according to LDL-C level on admission: low LDL-C (<70 mg/dL, n = 205) and high LDL-C groups (≥ 70 mg/dL, n = 2,347). The association between the preoperative LDL-C with in-hospital and one-year mortality was evaluated by propensity score matching analysis and multivariate analysis. Results: The mean age was 65 ± 4 years and 1,263 (49.5%) were men. Patients in the low LDL-C group were significantly older (65.9 ± 4.6 vs. 64.9 ± 4.1, p = 0.002), with more male (65.4 vs. 48.1%, p < 0.001), higher alanine transaminase (ALT) (21 vs. 19, p = 0.001), lower serum albumin (35.3 ± 4.6 vs. 37.1 ± 4.1, p < 0.001), higher serum creatinine (92.2 ± 38.2 vs.84.6 ± 26.1, p = 0.006), lower lymphocyte count (1.7 ± 0.7 vs. 1.9 ± 0.6, p < 0.001), lower hemoglobin (121.9 ± 22.3 vs. 130.2 ± 16.5, p < 0.001), lower platelet count (171.3 ± 64.3 vs. 187.7 ± 58.7, p < 0.001), lower prognostic nutrition index (44 ± 6.2 vs. 46.7 ± 5.8, p < 0.001), and more severe tricuspid regurgitation (33.7 vs. 25.1%, p = 0.008). The rates of in-hospital death (11.2 vs. 3.7%, p < 0.001) and major adverse clinical events (17.6 vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the low LDL-C group. The cumulative one-year death rate was significantly higher in the low LDL-C group (Log-Rank = 16.6, p < 0.001). After matching analysis and multivariate analysis, no association between LDL-C level and adverse outcomes was detected (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study did not support the negative relationship between LDL-C level and mortality risk in elderly patients undergoing VRS.