Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention

Angelo Oliva1,2, Birgit Vogel1, Samantha Sartori1

  • 1Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1030, New York, NY 10029, USA.

Insights

High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) indicates increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease (CAD). This biomarker is particularly useful for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Inflammation Research
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Inflammation is a key driver of coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a readily available biomarker reflecting immune and inflammatory activity.
  • NLR may improve risk stratification for patients with CAD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical impact of baseline NLR on outcomes in patients undergoing PCI.
  • To assess NLR's role in risk stratification for both chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 7,287 patients undergoing PCI between 2012-2022.
  • Patients stratified into NLR quartiles; outcomes analyzed using Cox regression.
  • Primary endpoint: 1-year incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke.

Main Results:

  • MACE incidence increased across NLR quartiles (5.1% to 9.3%, P=0.004).
  • The highest NLR quartile (NLR >5.0) was associated with increased adjusted risks of MACE (adjHR 1.52), death (adjHR 1.71), MI (adjHR 1.53), and bleeding (adjHR 2.01).
  • High NLR's ischemic risk was more pronounced in patients with ACS and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Conclusions:

  • Baseline NLR is significantly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in CAD patients post-PCI.
  • NLR assessment can enhance risk stratification, especially for ACS and CKD patients.
  • NLR serves as a valuable prognostic marker in interventional cardiology.
Abstract