Prognostic Impact of the Ratio of Hemoglobin to Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Patients after Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Abstract

Objective The ratio of hemoglobin to red blood cell distribution width (Hb/RDW) is a simple and readily available tool associated with adverse outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF). However, the association between the Hb/RDW ratio and mortality in patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF) is unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Hb/RDW ratio and mortality in patients after ADHF.

Methods This single-center study included clinical and laboratory data collected at baseline, with patients prospectively followed-up for a median period of 3.1 years. The patients were divided into two groups based on their median Hb/RDW ratio.

Patients We evaluated 250 consecutive patients hospitalized for ADHF at Shinshu University Hospital between July 2014 and March 2019.

Results In our study cohort [median age, 76 (66-83) years; 62.8% male], all-cause death was observed in 91 patients (incidence rate: 12.7 per 100 patient-years). A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients in the lower Hb/RDW ratio group (<0.24, n=131) had worse outcomes compared to those in the higher group (≥0.24, n=119) (cumulative incidence 44.1% vs. 19.5%, respectively; log-rank, p<0.001). After adjusting for demographics, HF severity, and laboratory biomarkers, a lower Hb/RDW ratio was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-3.45; p=0.038).

Conclusion A lower Hb/RDW ratio is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients after ADHF, thus indicating its potential utility in identifying patients at an elevated risk for future cardiovascular events.