Red-cell distribution width is associated with higher risk of vascular complications after carotid
Krzysztof Bojakowski1, Piotr Religa2, Piotr Andziak1
1Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Central Clinical Hospital of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in subjects with clinically manifested vascular diseases as well as predicts cardiovascular incidents and different types of cancer in a healthy population.
Aim:
The aim of the study was to evaluate relationship between clinical outcomes in patients after carotid thromboendarterectomy and initial RDW values.
Materials And Methods:
Data from 115 subsequent patients who underwent carotid thromboendartherectomy (TEA) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had complete blood count measured including RDW and were observed for 18 months post-operatively. On each visit doppler ultrasound of carotid arteries was performed to evaluate the development of restenosis and progression of atherosclerosis.
Results:
Primary endpoint defined as cardiovascular death, new cerebrovascular incidents (stroke or TIA), any new revascularization procedure (carotid, coronary or peripheral) and restenosis of the operated artery occurred in 28 patients. They differed from subjects with uneventful course with increased prevalence of previous cerebrovascular incidents (75.0% and 42.5%, respectively; p=0.0028) and higher RDW values (14,37±1.55% and 13.77±0.96%, p=0.0155).
Conclusions:
In patients with high risk for cerebrovascular incidents, RDW identifies population at increasingly high probability of vascular complications which should be subjected to intensive therapeutic regimen.
