Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and cardiovascular diseases: a review

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Inflammation Research
• Hematology

Background:

• Inflammatory markers are well-established predictors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
• Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an emerging, accessible inflammatory marker derived from complete blood count.
• NLR's association with arterial stiffness and coronary calcium scores highlights its relevance in CVD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the prognostic significance of NLR in diverse cardiovascular conditions.
• To evaluate NLR as a risk stratification tool for patients with CVD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies investigating NLR in cardiovascular diseases.
• Analysis of NLR's association with established CVD markers and outcomes.
• Synthesis of findings on NLR's predictive value in stable and acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and post-procedural complications.

Main Results:

• NLR is an independent predictor of outcomes in stable coronary artery disease.
• Elevated NLR is associated with increased mortality in acute coronary syndromes and advanced heart failure.
• NLR predicts ventricular arrhythmias during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and adverse outcomes post-PCI, as well as outcomes from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and post-CABG atrial fibrillation.

Conclusions:

• NLR is a valuable, inexpensive inflammatory marker for risk stratification in a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diseases.
• Its prognostic utility extends to acute and chronic conditions, as well as procedural outcomes.
• NLR offers complementary information to traditional markers for predicting cardiovascular events and mortality.