Association between blood inflammatory indices and heart failure: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2009-2018

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Inflammation Research
• Hematology

Background:

• Inflammation is a key factor in the development of heart failure (HF).
• Complete blood count (CBC)-derived inflammatory biomarkers are increasingly recognized for their potential role in disease pathogenesis.
• Understanding the association between these biomarkers and HF risk is crucial for early detection and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific CBC-derived inflammatory biomarkers and the presence of heart failure (HF).
• To evaluate the potential of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) as indicators of HF risk.
• To explore the nature of the relationship between these inflammatory markers and HF.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2018, including 26,021 participants.
• Compared five CBC-derived inflammatory markers (SII, SIRI, NLR, PLR, MLR) between individuals with and without HF.
• Employed statistical analyses including smoothing curves, threshold effect analysis, Spearman correlation, and subgroup analyses after adjusting for confounding variables.

Main Results:

• After adjusting for confounders, SIRI, NLR, and MLR showed significant positive correlations with HF risk.
• Participants in the highest quarter of SIRI, NLR, and MLR exhibited an increased risk of HF compared to those in the lowest quarter.
• Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed a stronger correlation between SIRI, NLR, MLR, and HF, with a nonlinear relationship observed.

Conclusions:

• Elevated levels of SIRI, NLR, and MLR are significantly associated with an increased risk of developing heart failure (HF).
• These CBC-derived inflammatory markers demonstrate potential utility as systemic inflammation hazard markers for HF.
• Further research may validate the clinical application of SIRI, NLR, and MLR in HF risk stratification.