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Updated: May 30, 2026

Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty
Published on: January 28, 2020
Red cell distribution width, C-reactive protein, the complete blood count, and mortality in patients with coronary
Jason M Lappé1, Benjamin D Horne, Svati H Shah
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Insights
Red cell distribution width (RDW) predicts mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and healthy individuals. While RDW correlates with inflammation markers, it independently predicts mortality, offering clinical value for risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) is linked to adverse outcomes in coronary artery disease (CAD).
- The relationship between RDW and chronic inflammation remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between RDW and all-cause mortality in CAD patients.
- To explore RDW's correlation with inflammation and other health markers.
Main Methods:
- A Cox regression analysis was performed on 1,489 CAD patients with 8.4-15.2 years of follow-up.
- RDW's association with inflammation (hsCRP), liver function, renal function, and BMI was assessed.
- A control group of 449 individuals without CAD was also evaluated.
Main Results:
- RDW significantly predicted all-cause mortality in CAD patients (HR=1.37 per quintile).
- A weak but significant correlation was found between RDW and hsCRP (r=0.181).
- RDW remained the strongest independent predictor of mortality in CAD and also predicted mortality in the control group.
Conclusions:
- RDW is a valuable prognostic marker for mortality in CAD patients.
- RDW and hsCRP are independent predictors of mortality.
- RDW can be integrated into risk prediction tools using basic laboratory data.
Background:
Red cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with morbidity and mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD), but the connection of RDW with chronic inflammation is equivocal.
Methods:
In 1,489 patients with CAD and 8.4-15.2 years of follow-up all-cause mortality and RDW were studied using Cox regression. RDW and its associations with inflammation, liver function, renal function, and body mass were assessed. A population of 449 normal (No-CAD) patients also was evaluated.
Results:
RDW predicted all-cause mortality in a step-wise manner (HR=1.37 per quintile; 95% CI=1.29, 1.46; p-trend<0.001). A significant but meaningless correlation between RDW and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was identified (r=0.181; p<0.001). With full adjustment, RDW remained significant (p-trend<0.001) and the strongest predictor of mortality among all factors included in the model. RDW also strongly predicted all-cause mortality in the normal control population (HR=1.33 per quintile, CI=1.15, 1.55; p-trend<0.001), but hsCRP did not predict mortality among normal controls.
Conclusions:
RDW was associated with mortality in patients with CAD and may provide clinically useful prognostication. Although RDW was correlated with hsCRP, they were independent predictors of mortality. RDW has been incorporated into risk prediction tool using data from basic chemistries available at: http://intermountainhealthcare.org/IMRS.
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