[Relationship between red blood cell distribution width and left atrial appendage thrombogenic milieu in old patients...

Objective: To estimate the correlation between red cell distribution width (RDW) level and left atrial appendage thrombogenic milieu (LAATM) in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study. A total of 782 NVAF patients (age>60 years old) who finished transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) from January 2010 to December 2016 at Chaoyang Hospital was retrospectively screened, and diveded into LAATM group (n=65) and non LAATM group (n=717). RDW level was compared between the two groups. Potential association between RDW and LAATM was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The accuracy of RDW for detecting LAATM was evaluated through receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Results: There were significant differences in age, history of heart failure, course of atrial fibrillation (AF), type of AF, NT-proBNP level, RDW level, left ventricular end systolic diameter, left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial diameter, CHADS(2) score and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score between the two groups (P<0.05). RDW level in LAATM group was significant higher than non LAATM group (13.4% (12.6%, 14.1%) vs. 12.1% (11.2%,13.0%), P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that RDW level associated with LAATM (OR=4.07, 95%CI 2.09-7.91, P<0.001). In ROC analysis, area under the curve was 0.81 (95%CI 0.74-0.88, P<0.001). When RDW level was 13.1%, LAATM could be diagnosed (sensitivity was 73.1% and specificity was 80.5%). Conclusions: RDW value is associated with the presence of LAATM in elderly NVAF patients. The RDW level has a certain reference value for predicting LAATM.