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Assessment of the relationship between red cell distribution width and cardiac syndrome X

Sait Demirkol1, Sevket Balta, Turgay Celik

  • 1Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Gulhane Medical Academy, Etlik-Ankara, Turkey. saitdemirkol@yahoo.com

Kardiologia Polska
|June 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Patients with Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX) and coronary artery disease (CAD) show elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) levels compared to healthy individuals. This suggests inflammation may play a role in CSX, similar to CAD.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX) presents as angina-like chest pain with normal coronary arteries.
  • Elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) may indicate underlying inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate red cell distribution width (RDW) levels in patients with CSX.
  • To compare RDW levels in CSX patients with those having coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 245 subjects: 79 with CSX, 81 with CAD, and 85 controls.
  • CSX defined by chest pain, ischemic stress test, and normal coronary angiogram.
  • CAD defined by ≥50% coronary artery stenosis; controls had normal stress tests and angiograms.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in RDW levels between CSX and CAD groups (p=0.17).
  • Both CSX and CAD groups exhibited significantly higher RDW levels compared to the control group (p<0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Patients with CSX and CAD demonstrate significantly higher RDW measurements than controls.
  • The elevated RDW in CSX suggests endothelial dysfunction may contribute to its pathogenesis, mirroring CAD.
Abstract

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