Can the Hemoglobin-Albumin-Lymphocyte-Platelet (HALP) Index Be Used as a Prognostic Marker in Patients Diagnosed With...

The hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) score serves as an indicator of systemic inflammation and can be utilized as a prognostic marker. It has been previously associated with many cancers, but its relationship with prognosis in patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the usability of the HALP score as a prognostic marker in patients diagnosed with IPF.

The study evaluated patients with IPF who were diagnosed and had follow-up visits in the pulmonary medicine clinic of a tertiary hospital between January 2021 and March 2023. Patients' clinical information, comorbidities, laboratory values, pulmonary function test-diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (PFT-DLCO) parameters at the time of diagnosis, six-minute walk tests, body mass indices, prognosis information, and death information were recorded.

A total of 224 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 66.27 (±8.83) years and a predominantly male population (84%). The mean HALP score was 53.27 (±27.73), and with a cut-off of 25 for HALP, survival duration of patients between groups were statistically; a median survival of 493 (40-945) days for patients with a score of 25 or below for HALP and 981 (752-1209) days for those above it (log-rank test result of 0.01 and X²(1)= 6.693). Due to patient distribution, further subgroup evaluation could not be performed.

The HALP score is a reliable, simple, easily accessible, and inexpensive index for predicting the prognosis of IPF. Further studies are required to evaluate subgroup outcomes for IPF patients.