Full blood count as potential predictor of outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biomarkers
• Heart Failure Management

Background:

• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a treatment for heart failure (HF), but nearly one-third of patients show suboptimal responses.
• Identifying patients likely to benefit from CRT is crucial for improving outcomes.
• Circulating biomarkers offer a potential avenue for predicting treatment response and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive value of full blood count (FBC) parameters for prognosis in HF patients undergoing CRT.
• To determine if FBC parameters can identify patients with suboptimal responses to CRT.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 612 consecutive CRT patients was studied.
• Full blood count (FBC) was measured within 24 hours before CRT implantation.
• Patients were followed for a median of 1652 days to assess all-cause mortality/transplant and reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling.

Main Results:

• Red cell count, red cell distribution width (RDW), lymphocyte percentage, and platelet count independently predicted all-cause mortality.
• RDW and platelet count were significant independent predictors of reverse LV remodeling.
• This study is the first powered single-center investigation to link RDW and platelet count to long-term CRT outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Red cell distribution width (RDW) and platelet count are independent predictors of long-term mortality and reverse LV remodeling in CRT patients.
• These FBC parameters may aid in selecting patients for CRT.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and their clinical utility in patient selection for CRT.