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Evaluation of red blood cell distribution width in patients with cardiac syndrome X
Ping Qing1, Song-Hui Luo, Yuan-Lin Guo
1Division of Dyslipidemia, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Insights
Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are independently associated with cardiac syndrome X (CSX). This study suggests RDW may serve as a diagnostic marker for CSX.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Inflammation Markers
Background:
- Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX) presents as chest pain with normal coronary arteries, but its underlying causes remain unclear.
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a known marker for cardiovascular diseases, yet its role in CSX is unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX).
- To evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a potential marker in CSX patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 120 CSX patients and 102 healthy controls.
- Measurement of Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in all participants.
- Comparative analysis of baseline data and multivariate association studies.
Main Results:
- Patients with CSX exhibited significantly higher Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to controls.
- Multivariate analysis identified peripheral monocyte cell, CRP, and RDW as independent predictors of CSX.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated an Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) cut-point of 12.8% for CSX detection.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence linking elevated Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX).
- The findings suggest that RDW and CRP are independently associated with the presence of CSX.
Background:
Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is a condition characterized by chest pain with normal coronary arteries. However, its pathogenesis has not fully been understood yet. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has recently been suggested as a marker of acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases, while no data is available in patients with CSX.
Methods:
One hundred and twenty consecutive patients with CSX and 102 normal controls were prospectively enrolled in this study. Blood samples were drawn from all individuals for measuring RDW and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). The baseline data were compared between patients with CSX and normal controls.
Results:
The RDW levels were significantly higher in patients with CSX than that in those with normal controls (13.1 ± 2.1 versus 12.3 ± 1.8, p=0.011). Moreover, the data showed that the levels of plasma CRP were marked higher in patients with CSX than those that were observed in normal controls (CRP: 2.8 ± 2.2 mg/L versus 2.0 ± 1.7 mg/dl, p=0.014). In addition, the multivariate analysis indicated that peripheral monocyte cell, CRP and RDW were the independent variables most strongly associated with CSX. In a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we found that an RDW value of 12.8% was used as an effective cut-point in the segregation of the presence or absence of cardiac syndrome X, a sensitivity of 52.0% and a specificity of 65.4% were obtained. Finally, correlation analysis suggested that there was positive correlation between plasma levels of CRP and RDW levels (n=120, γ =0.381, P=0.013).
Conclusions:
The present study, for the first time, demonstrated that elevated RDW and CRP levels were independently associated with the presence of CSX.
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