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OBJECTIVE: Diabetic foot ulcers are common chronic complications of diabetes mellitus that can lead to amputation and death in severe cases. There is limited research on the relationship between the red cell distribution width/albumin ratio and diabetic lower-extremity ulcers. The few studies that have been conducted have been in single-center inpatient settings and there is limited research in outpatient settings. This study investigated this relationship in adult outpatient clinics in the United States. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 1624 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2004. Three logistic regression models were developed to assess the association between red cell distribution width/albumin ratio and diabetic lower-extremity ulcers. The ratio was analyzed as a continuous and categorical variable. Stratified analyses were performed based on age, sex, HbA1c level, and body mass index. RESULTS: The study included 1624 adults, with a mean age of 65.0 ± 12.0 years, of whom 58.8% were male. The prevalence of diabetic lower-extremity ulcers was 8.0% (n = 131). Compared with individuals with a lower red cell distribution width/albumin ratio in T1(2.32,2.93), the adjusted OR values for the ratio and ulcers in T2(2.94,3.26), T3(3.27,7.42), and 2.07 (95% CI = 1.19â¼3.61), 2.92 (95% CI = 1.63â¼5.23). The association between the ratio and ulcers exhibited a non-linear relationship (nonlinear, P = .028). CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis of an S-shaped relationship between red cell distribution width/albumin and diabetic lower-extremity ulcers. Monitoring the RDW/Albumin ratio could be crucial for preventing diabetic lower-extremity ulcers in outpatient settings. Regular assessments may help identify high-risk patients early, enabling timely interventions. Future studies should further assess these two factors and their underlying mechanisms.
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Aim: The progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) might be associated with systemic inflammation. Our study aims to explore the association and predictive value of the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) to human serum albumin (ALB) ratio (RDW/ALB ratio), an inflammation-related indicator, in the risk of all-cause mortality and renal replacement therapy (RRT) in AKI patients admitted in intensive care units (ICU). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed, and data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III). The primary outcome was the risk of all-cause mortality (1-month, 3-month, and 12-month), and the secondary outcome was the risk of RRT. The association between the RDW/ALB ratio and the risk of all-cause mortality and RRT was assessed using the Cox regression analysis, with results shown as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The relationship between the RDW/ALB ratio and crude probability of all-cause mortality or RRT was assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCS). The concordance index (C-index) was used to assess the discrimination of the prediction model. Results: A total of 13,856 patients were included in our study. In the fully adjusted Cox regression model, we found that a high RDW/ALB ratio was associated with an increased risk of 1-month, 3-month, and 12-month all-cause mortality and RRT (all p < 0.05). Moreover, RCS curves showed the linear relationship between the RDW/ALB ratio and the probability of all-cause mortality and RRT, and the probability was elevated with the increase of the ratio. In addition, the RDW/ALB ratio showed a good predictive performance in the risk of 1-month all-cause mortality, 3-month all-cause mortality, 12-month all-cause mortality, and RRT, with a C-index of 0.728 (95%CI: 0.719-0.737), 0.728 (95%CI: 0.721-0.735), 0.719 (95%CI: 0.713-0.725), and 0.883 (95%CI: 0.876-0.890), respectively. Conclusion: The RDW/ALB ratio performed well to predict the risk of all-cause mortality and RRT in critically ill patients with AKI, indicating that this combined inflammatory indicator might be effective in clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND: Red cell distribution width/albumin ratio (RAR) is thought to be associated with the prognosis of a variety of diseases, including diabetes and heart failure. To date, no studies have focused on the relationship between RAR and carotid plaque in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: A total of 10,267 patients with CHD were divided according to RAR quartiles (Q1: RAR ≤ 2.960; Q2: 2.960 < RAR ≤ 3.185; Q3: 3.185 < RAR < 3.441; Q4: RAR ≥ 3.441). Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between RAR and carotid plaques in CHD patients. The relationship between RAR and carotid plaques in according to sex, age and glucose regulation state groups were also assessed. RESULTS: Among the 10,267 participants, 75.43% had carotid plaques. After adjusting for confounding factors, RAR was found to be associated with carotid plaque formation (OR: 1.23; 95% CI 1.08-1.39). The risk of carotid plaque formation in the Q4 group was 1.24 times higher than that in the Q1 group. After multivariate adjustment, RAR was associated with the risk of carotid plaque in female (OR: 1.29; 95% CI 1.09-1.52). And the relationship between RAR and carotid plaques in patients younger than 60 years old (OR: 1.43; 95% CI 1.16-1.75) was stronger than that in those older than 60 years old (OR: 1.29; 95% CI 1.10-1.51). Under different glucose metabolism states, RAR had the highest correlation with the risk of carotid plaques in diabetes patients (OR: 1.28; 95% CI 1.04-1.58). CONCLUSIONS: RAR was significantly related to carotid plaques in patients with CHD. In addition, the correlation between RAR and the incidence of carotid plaque in patients with CHD was higher in women and middle-aged and elderly patients. In patients with CHD and diabetes, the correlation between RAR and carotid plaque was higher.