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The Relation Between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Vulnerability Detected by
Peng Jin1,2, Si-Jing Wu1, Qian Ma1
1Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Disease, Beijing Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine of Coronary Atherosclerotic Disease, Clinical Center for Coronary Heart Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.
Insights
Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is linked to vulnerable plaques in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Higher RDW levels predict plaque rupture and thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), especially in acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a known predictor of major adverse cardiac events in coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Limited research exists on the association between RDW and vulnerable plaques.
- This study investigates RDW's role in plaque vulnerability in cardiovascular disease (CV) patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the predictive value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in identifying vulnerable plaques.
- To assess the association between RDW and plaque vulnerability using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
- To evaluate RDW's predictive capability in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 35 stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients and 70 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.
- Assessment of plaque vulnerability via Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), defining thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) as fibrous cap <65 μm.
- Documentation of clinical features and peripheral RDW levels.
Main Results:
- Plaque rupture and TCFA were significantly more frequent in ACS patients than SAP patients (p<0.001).
- Higher RDW levels were observed in ACS patients compared to SAP patients (p<0.001).
- An RDW cut-off of >13.85% demonstrated 72.3% sensitivity and 62% specificity for detecting ruptured plaque.
Conclusions:
- Thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) and plaque rupture are more prevalent in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.
- Elevated Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) is positively associated with plaque vulnerability.
- RDW serves as a potential predictor for plaque vulnerability in cardiovascular disease.
Background:
A higher red blood cell distribution width (RDW) predicts major adverse cardiac events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there are only a few studies regarding the relationship between RDW and vulnerable plaques. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to retrospectively explore the predictive value of the association between RDW and plaque vulnerability assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with cardiovascular (CV) diseases.
Methods:
This study included 35 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 70 patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We documented clinical features as well as peripheral RDW. Plaque vulnerability was determined by OCT. We defined thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) as a lipid-rich plaque (fibrous cap <65 μm thick).
Results:
Plaque rupture was detected more frequently in patients with ACS compared with patients with SAP (62.9 vs. 2.9%, p<0.001, and the corresponding TCFA were 50.69±15.68 vs. 80.03±21.60 μm, p<0.001, respectively). A higher RDW was found in patients with ACS than in patients with SAP (p<0.001). A cut-off value of RDW >13.85% could detect ruptured plaque with a sensitivity of 72.3% and a specificity of 62%.
Conclusion:
TCFA and plaque rupture were detected more frequently in patients with ACS compared with SAP. Elevated RDW was positively the predictive value of the association between plaque vulnerability.
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