Predictive Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Poststroke Depression

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is increased in a variety of inflammatory-related diseases. However, there is no report of its clinical significance in poststroke depression (PSD). This study explores the clinical significance of RDW in PSD patients.

A total of 185 patients with first-ever acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University were chosen as subjects. A retrospective observational study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020. PSD patients were diagnosed at 6 months after stroke based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from all patients. Coefficient of Variation (RDW-CV) and standard deviation (RDW-SD) were used to statistically report the performance of red blood cell distribution width.

At the 6-month follow-up, 46 patients were diagnosed with PSD. Compared with non-PSD patients, PSD patients exhibited an increase in RDW-CV and RDW-SD, which positively correlated with serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentrations. In PSD patients, only RDW-SD demonstrated a consistent positive association with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) scores at 6 months after admission. RDW-CV, RDW-SD, and IL-6 were recognized as independent predictors of PSD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of RDW-SD was 0.796 (95% CI: 0.731-0.852) for the prediction of PSD, which was superior to that of RDW-CV. The specificity for predicting PSD was 60.43%, and the sensitivity was 91.30% if RDW-SD was higher than 43.80 fL.

RDW-SD is a simple, inexpensive, rapid, and easily accessible parameter that can be used to predict PSD in patients with stroke.