Relationship between red cell distribution width and stroke in patients with stable chronic heart failure: a...

We aimed to investigate the association between baseline red cell distribution width (RDW) level and the risk of stroke in patients with heart failure (HF).

A total of 153 consecutive patients with HF (New York Heart Association [NYHA] I-III and left ventricular ejection fraction of <40%) were included in this prospective study. All the patients were followed up for 1 year, and during this period the cerebrovascular disease was questioned.

In matched population, using propensity score matching comparing patients with HF having stroke with patients without stroke, we found significantly increased basal RDW and serum uric acid. The receiver-operating characteristic curves of RDW for predicting stroke are performed. An RDW ≥ 15.2% measured on admission had 87% sensitivity and 74% specificity in predicting stroke in patients with HF (area under the curve: 0.923, 95% confidence interval: 0.852-0.994, P < .001).

In conclusion, this study demonstrated that RDW may be important hematological indices for stroke in patients with HF using propensity score analysis.