Relation of Fibrinogen-to-Albumin Ratio to Severity of Coronary Artery Disease and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

Fibrinogen/Albumin Ratio is Associated with the Occurrence of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Purpose

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are associated with an elevated risk of mortality and poor prognosis. Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), a common complication in CHF patients undergoing contrast-enhanced procedures, exacerbates renal dysfunction and contributes to adverse outcomes. However, the relationship between the preoperative fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) and the risk of CI-AKI or all-cause mortality in CHF remains unclear. This study analyzed the correlation of FAR with the risk of CI-AKI and all-cause mortality in patients with CHF.

Patients and Methods

In this retrospective observational study, CHF patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) were enrolled and grouped according to their FAR quartiles. The association between FAR and clinical outcomes was assessed using the multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses.

Results

This study included 7,235 CHF patients with a mean age of 65.8 ± 11.7 years. Among these, 2,100 were female (29.0%), and 1,094 (15.1%) experienced CI-AKI. FAR showed a non-linear relationship with CI-AKI (p < 0.001). The risk of CI-AKI was significantly higher with increasing FAR. After adjusting for all the potential confounding variables, the risk of CI-AKI was highest in patients with FAR >0.150 (OR = 1.572, 95% CI 1.237-2.004, p < 0.001). Multivariate COX proportional risk model showed that the risk of all-cause mortality was highest in CHF patients with FAR > 0.150 (HR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.04-1.38, p = 0.014).

Conclusion

FAR is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of CI-AKI in patients with CHF.

Association of fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients on dialysis with acute coronary syndrome

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the association of the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) and all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular mortality in patients on dialysis with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, we explored the incremental prognostic value of incorporating the FAR into the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled 1035 patients on dialysis with ACS between January 2015 and June 2021. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was cardiovascular mortality. Multivariate Cox regression model, restricted cubic spline analysis, and C-statistic were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of FAR on outcomes.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 21.8 months, 369 (35.7%) patients died, including 250 cardiovascular deaths. Patients with the highest FAR tertile had significantly increased risks of all-cause mortality (46.1% vs 27.8%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.790; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.372-2.336) and cardiovascular mortality (33.0% vs 16.5%; adjusted HR, 2.086; 95% CI, 1.496-2.908) compared to those in the lowest tertile. Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a J-shaped association between the FAR and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, with HRs increasing significantly when the FAR exceeded 94.15. Furthermore, integrating the FAR into the GRACE score significantly improved its predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, as measured by C-statistic, continuous net reclassification index, and integrated discriminatory index.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients on dialysis with ACS, the FAR was independently associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Incorporating the FAR might improve the predictive accuracy of the GRACE score in patients on dialysis with ACS.

Prognostic value of the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) in patients with chronic heart failure across the different ejection fraction spectrum

The ratio of fibrinogen to albumin (FAR) is considered a new inflammatory biomarker and a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. However, its prognostic value for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with different ejection fractions (EFs) remains unclear. A total of 916 hospitalized patients with CHF from January 2017 to October 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University were included in the study. Death occurred in 417 (45.5%) patients out of 916 patients during a median follow-up time of 750 days. Among these patients, 381 patients suffered from HFrEF (LVEF <40%) and 535 patients suffered from HFpEF or HFmrEF (HFpEF plus HFmrEF, LVEF ≥ 40%). Patients were categorized into high-level FAR (FAR-H) and low-level FAR (FAR-L) groups based on the optimal cut-off value of FAR (9.06) obtained from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Upon analysing the Kaplan - Meier plots, the incidence of death was significantly higher in all patients with FAR-H and patients in both HF subgroups (p < 0.001). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses indicated that the FAR was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, regardless of heart failure subtype. (HR 1.115, 95% CI 1.089-1.142, p < 0.001; HFpEF plus HFmrEF, HR 1.109, 95% CI 1.074-1.146, p < 0.0001; HFrEF, HR 1.138, 95% CI 1.094-1.183, p < 0.0001) The optimal cut-off value of FAR in predicting all-cause mortality was 9.06 with an area under the curve value of 0.720 (95% CI: 0.687-0.753, p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 68.8% and a specificity of 65.6%. After adjusting for the traditional indicators (LVEF, Lg BNP, etc.), the new model with the FAR had better prediction ability in patients with CHF. Elevated FAR is an independent predictor of death in CHF and is not related to the HF subtype.

Impact of treatment management on the hospital stay in patients with acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

The length of hospital stay in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is crucial for determining clinical outcomes, managing healthcare resources, controlling costs, and ensuring patient well-being. This study aimed to explore the impact of treatment approaches on the length of stay (LOS) for ACS patients.

METHODS

A total of 7109 ACS cases were retrospectively recruited from a hospital between 2018 and 2023. Demographical baseline data, laboratory examinations, and diagnostic and treatment information of the included subjects were extracted from electronic medical records to investigate the factors contributing to extended hospitalization and further explore the impact of treatment management on the LOS.

RESULTS

Advanced age, female sex, and elevated levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were identified as risk factors for extended hospitalization. At the 0.2-0.9 quantile of LOS, compared with the non-invasive group, the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty group and the stent implantation group exhibited decreases in LOS of 0.37-2.37 days and 0.12-2.28 days, respectively. Stratified analysis based on diagnosis showed that percutaneous coronary intervention decreased hospitalization time in the high quantile of LOS but conversely increased it in the low quantile.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous coronary intervention is important for reducing hospitalization duration, particularly for patients susceptible to prolonged stays. Early and assertive management intervention, incorporating elements such as lipid-lowering therapy, and anti-inflammatory agents, is essential for improving outcomes within high-risk groups.

The relationship between the new inflammatory markers and disease severity in patients with acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of acute coronary syndrome.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the SYNTAX score and new inflammatory markers including albumin-globulin ratio (AGR), C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR), and neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) in STEMI and NSTEMI patients.

METHODS

The study involved 53 STEMI and 64 NSTEMI patients, and each patient group was evaluated separately. Multivariate linear regression analysis was utilised to identify independent risk factors associated with SYNTAX scores.

RESULTS

Out of the 64 NSTEMI patients, 42 had low SYNTAX score (65.6%), and 22 had high SYNTAX score (34.4%). Patients with high SYNTAX scores had significantly higher levels of age, glucose, fibrinogen, monocyte, and FAR, and lower levels of albumin and total protein. We found that FAR and monocyte levels were independent predictors of the high SYNTAX score. The study also determined that the cut-off value for FAR as 9.99, with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 73% for predicting high SYNTAX score in NSTEMI patients. Out of the 53 STEMI patients, 42 had low SYNTAX score (79.2%), and 11 had high SYNTAX score (20.8%). Patients with high SYNTAX scores exhibited significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL, and glucose levels, and lower albumin and total protein levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The FAR level is significantly linked with the high SYNTAX score and can be a useful marker for predicting the severity of disease in NSTEMI patients.

A High Fibrinogen-to-Albumin Ratio on Admission is Associated with Early Neurological Deterioration Following Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose

The fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) is a novel inflammation marker associated with various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between FAR and early neurological deterioration (END) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Patients and Methods

From September 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023, continuously recruited AIS patients who received IVT within 4.5 hours were included in the study. Blood samples were collected in the emergency room before IVT. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was assessed upon admission and after thrombolysis within the first 24 hours. END was defined as an increase in the NIHSS score by ≥ 4 points within 24 hours after thrombolysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between FAR and END, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of FAR for END.

Results

343 participants were recruited, and 59 (17.2%) experienced END. Patients with END had higher FAR levels than those without END (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FAR was independently associated with END, both as a continuous variable and as a tertile variable (P<0.005). After excluding patients with hemorrhagic transformation (HT), FAR remained independently associated with END (P<0.005). The area under the curve (AUC) of FAR for predicting END was 0.650 (95% CI=0.571-0.729, P<0.001), with an optimal cutoff of 72.367 mg/g, a sensitivity of 61.6%, and a specificity of 62.6%.

Conclusion

FAR upon admission was independently associated with END after IVT and can be an effective predictor.

U-shaped relationship found between fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio and systemic inflammation response index in osteoporotic fracture patients

The relationship between the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI) and the Fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) has not been extensively investigated. The objective of this study was to determine the independent relationship between FAR and SIRI in people with osteoporotic fractures (OPF). A cross-sectional study was conducted using retrospective data from 3431 hospitalized OPF patients. The exposure variable in this study was the baseline FAR, while the outcome variable was the SIRI. Covariates, including age, gender, BMI, and other clinical and laboratory factors, were adjusted. Cross-correlation analysis and linear regression models were applied. The generalized additive model (GAM) investigated non-linear relationships. Adjusted analysis revealed an independent negative association between FAR and SIRI in OPF patients (β = - 0.114, p = 0.00064, 95% CI - 0.180, - 0.049). A substantial U-shaped association between FAR and SIRI was shown using GAM analysis (p < 0.001). FAR and SIRI indicated a negative association for FAR below 6.344% and a positive correlation for FAR over 6.344%. The results of our study revealed a U-shaped relationship between SIRI and FAR. The lowest conceivable FAR for a bone-loose inflammatory disease might be 6.344%, suggesting that this has particular significance for the medical diagnosis and therapy of persons with OPF. Consequently, the term "inflammatory trough" is proposed. These results offer fresh perspectives on controlling inflammation in individuals with OPF and preventing inflammatory osteoporosis.

Fibrinogen/albumin ratio and carotid artery plaques in coronary heart disease patients with different glucose metabolic states: a RCSCD-TCM study

AIM

The relationship between fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) and carotid artery plaques (CAPs) was investigated in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODS

A total of 11,624 patients with CHD were enrolled and divided into quartiles based on the FAR (Q1: FAR index ≤ 0.0663; Q2: 0.0664 ≤ FAR index ≤ 0.0790; Q3: 0.0791 ≤ FAR index ≤ 0.0944; Q4: FAR index > 0.0944). Patients were classified into three groups according to their blood glucose levels: normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM), and diabetes mellitus (DM) groups. Carotid ultrasonography was performed to detect CAPs. The relationship between FAR and CAPs was evaluated using logistic and subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Among 11,624 participants, 8738 (75.14%) had CAPs. Compared with Q1, the odds ratio (OR) of Q4 in patients with CHD was 2.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.71-2.34) after multivariate adjustment. Taking Q1 as a reference, a higher OR was observed in Q4 of FAR for CAPs in men [OR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.73-2.95] in the multi-adjusted models. Moreover, multivariate adjustment indicated that the highest OR was observed in patients with CHD and DM (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.80-3.10).

CONCLUSIONS

A significant association between FAR and CAPs was observed in patients with CHD, regardless of sex or blood glucose levels. Therefore, FAR may be used as an effective indicator to identify patients at a high risk of CAPs among patients with CHD.

FAR in systemic lupus erythematosus: a potential biomarker of disease activity and lupus nephritis

The fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), a novel inflammatory marker, has been studied in various diseases. However, the significance of FAR in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been fully elucidated. This study was to investigate the connection between FAR and SLE. A retrospective analysis of 154 SLE patients and 77 healthy individuals was performed. The clinical and laboratory data were reviewed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted for FAR at baseline to predict disease activity and lupus nephritis (LN) in SLE patients. Pearson correlation was also applied. FAR in the SLE group was found to be significantly higher than that of the healthy control group (83.71 mg/g vs. 53.14 mg/g, P < 0.001). It was also significantly higher in patients with LN than that in patients without (107.64 mg/g vs. 67.75 mg/g, P < 0.001). The ROC curve for predicting LN showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of FAR (0.859, 95% CI 0.803-0.914) was the largest when compared to albumin (0.852, 95% CI 0.789-0.916) or fibrinogen (0.736, 95% CI 0.659-0.814) alone. In addition, FAR was a good predictor of severe disease activity in SLE (AUC = 0.721, 95% CI 0.612-0.830) and LN patients (AUC = 0.789, 95% CI 0.680-0.898). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that FAR demonstrated a strong correlation with SLE disease activity index 2000 (r = 0.4288, P < 0.001). FAR was significantly increased in SLE patients. It is a possible biomarker for disease activity and renal involvement in SLE.

Association between fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio and hemorrhagic transformation after intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is the most serious complication of intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke patients. Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathological progression of HT. This study was to explore the relationship between fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), a novel systemic inflammation biomarker, and HT after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with ischemic stroke.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled ischemic stroke patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis between Jan 2017 to May 2022. The characteristic data of all patients at admission were retrospectively collected. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between FAR and HT after intravenous thrombolysis. The optimal cut-off value of FAR for predicting HT was determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve.

RESULTS

A total of 363 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in the present study. Sixty-two patients had HT after intravenous thrombolysis. In multivariate regression analysis, FAR was significantly associated with HT (odds ratio [OR], 1.105; 95% confidential interval [CI], 1.029-1.186, P = 0.006). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated FAR predicts HT after intravenous thrombolysis with an AUC of 0.613 (95%CI, 0.530-0.695; P = 0.005) and an optimal cut-off value of 0.101. The correlation between FAR and HT after intravenous thrombolysis was still observed when patients were stratified according to FAR levels. A higher FAR level was independently related to the occurrence of HT after adjusting for the potential confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

Higher FAR level was independently associated with HT after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with ischemic stroke.

Fibrinogen-to-Albumin Ratio Predicts Postcontrast Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome after Implantation of Drug-Eluting Stents

Background

Postcontrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) is an adverse reaction to iodinated contrast agents. In this study, we investigated the use of fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) as a novel inflammatory marker to track the development and progression of PC-AKI in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) after the implantation of drug-eluting stents (DESs).

Methods

A total of 872 patients with NSTE-ACS were enrolled in this study. PC-AKI was identified when serum creatinine (SCr) levels increased >26.5 mol/L (0.3 mg/dL) or was 1.5 times the baseline level within 48-72 h of exposure to an iodinated contrast agent. The effects of different variables on PC-AKI were evaluated using univariate regression analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors of PC-AKI. The predictive value of FAR was assessed by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

In total, 114 (13.1%) patients developed PC-AKI. The patients with PC-AKI had lower albumin levels (40.5 ± 3.4 vs. 39.0 ± 3.5, P < 0.001), higher fibrinogen levels (3.7 ± 0.6 vs. 4.1 ± 0.5, P < 0.001), and higher FAR levels (9.2 ± 1.7 vs. 10.5 ± 1.7, P < 0.001) than those with non-PC-AKI. There were no significant differences in the preoperative SCr levels between the two groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, FAR was found to be an independent predictor of PC-AKI (OR = 1.478, 95% CI = 1.298-1.684, P < 0.001). ROC analysis revealed that for PC-AKI prediction, the area under the curve for FAR was 0.702. The optimum cut-off value of FAR was 10.0, with a sensitivity of 64.9% and a specificity of 69.8%. Moreover, FAR had a higher predictive value for PC-AKI than the Mehran score (0.702 vs. 0.645).

Conclusion

Our study showed that elevated preoperative FAR was closely associated with the development of PC-AKI in patients with NSTE-ACS after implantation of DESs. Therefore, it may be worth monitoring FAR as a guide for using preventive measures to avoid the development of PC-AKI.

Impact of CPAP Therapy on New Inflammation Biomarkers

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder leading to increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) by supporting a low-grade chronic inflammation as one of the pathological mechanisms. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is used as an effective treatment for moderate and severe OSA. Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR), white blood cell–mean platelet volume ratio (WMR), C-reactive protein–albumin ratio (CAR) and fibrinogen–albumin ratio (FAR) are new potential inflammatory biomarkers that are widely available and were shown to be possibly favorable screening or follow-up tools for moderate- or severe-grade OSA, as well as indirect indicators for cardiovascular risk. Our study evaluated the impact of CPAP therapy in patients with severe OSA and acceptable therapy adherence on NLR, PLR, WMR, FAR and CAR. Of 57 patients who were initially enrolled and had no exclusion criteria, 37 had a satisfactory CPAP adherence (usage of ≥4 h per night) after a minimum of 6 months of therapy. There was a statistically significant difference in NLR (2.122 ± 0.745 before therapy vs. 1.888 ± 0.735 after therapy) and FAR (86.445 ± 18.763 before therapy vs. 77.321 ± 19.133 after therapy) suggesting a positive effect of the CPAP therapy on chronic inflammatory states, thereby possibly reducing cardiovascular risk.

High fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with poor prognosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: 5-year findings from a large cohort

BACKGROUND

Inflammation plays a crucial role in coronary atherosclerosis progression, and growing evidence has demonstrated that the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), as a novel inflammation biomarker, is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the long-term risk of cardiovascular events remains indistinct in patients with different level of FAR and different glycemic metabolism status. This study was to assess 5-year clinical outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with different level of FAR.

METHODS

We consecutively enrolled 10,724 patients with CAD hospitalized for PCI and followed up for the major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) covering all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal ischemic stroke, and unplanned coronary revascularization. FAR was computed using the following formula: Fibrinogen (g/L)/Albumin (g/L). According to the optimal cut-off value of FAR for MACCE prediction, patients were divided into higher level of FAR (FAR-H) and lower level of FAR (FAR-L) subgroups, and were further categorized into four groups as FAR-H with DM and non-DM, and FAR-L with DM and non-DM.

RESULTS

5298 patients (58.36 ± 10.36 years, 77.7% male) were ultimately enrolled in the present study. A total of 1099 (20.7%) MACCEs were documented during the 5-year follow-up. The optimal cut-off value of FAR was 0.0783 by the surv_cutpoint function. Compared to ones with FAR-H and DM, patients with FAR-L and non-DM, FAR-H and non-DM, FAR-L and DM had decreased risk of MACCEs [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.89, P = 0.001; HR: 0.78, 95% CI 0.66-0.93, P = 0.006; HR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.97, P = 0.019; respectively]. Notably, non-diabetic patients with lower level of FAR also had lower all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality risk than those in the FAR-H/DM group (HR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.27-0.63, P < 0.001; HR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.17-0.53, P < 0.001; respectively). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis also indicated the highest risk of MACCEs in patients with FAR-H and DM than others (P for trend = 0.005). In addition, post-hoc analysis revealed consistent effects on 5-year MACCE across various subgroups.

CONCLUSION

In this real-world cohort study, higher level of FAR combined with DM was associated with worse 5-year outcomes among patients with CAD undergoing PCI. The level of FAR may help to identify high-risk individuals in this specific population, where more precise risk assessment should be performed.

Predictive value of combining the level of fibrinogen and CHA2DS2-VASC Score for contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the value of preprocedural fibrinogen (FIB) combined with CHA2DS2-VASC scores in the risk prediction of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

METHOD

A total of 934 patients (mean age 63.9 ± 11.5 years, and 32.1% female), who were admitted to our hospital for ACS and underwent PCI, were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: non-CI-AKI group (n = 787) and CI-AKI group (n = 147). Contrast-induced acute kidney injury was defined as an increase of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL or ≥ 25% serum creatinine within 48-72 h after PCI. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores.

RESULTS

Patients with high baseline FIB levels and high CHA2DS2-VASC scores had higher CI-AKI incidence. On spearman correlation analysis, FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores were positively correlated (R = 0.236, P < 0.001). The ROC statistical analysis showed that the combination had 63.3% sensitivity with 72.6% specificity for the development of CI-AKI (area under the curve: 0.727, 95% CI 0.697-0.755, P < 0.001). A total of 934 ACS patients were divided into low-risk group (404 cases), medium-risk group (383 cases) and high-risk group (147 cases) according to the cut-off values of FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores. The incidence of CI-AKI was higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk and medium-risk groups (Log-rank χ2 = 104.505, 56.647. P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that albumin (OR = 0.913, 95% CI 0.867-0.962), FIB (OR = 1.451, 95% CI 1.185-1.77), CHA2DS2-VASC score (OR = 1.271, 95% CI 1.504-1.78) were the independent risk factors of CI-AKI (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The preprocedural fibrinogen combined with CHA2DS2-VASC score is independently associated with the risk of CI-AKI in ACS patients treated by PCI.

Analysis of the Value of the Blood Urea Nitrogen to Albumin Ratio as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Sepsis

Purpose

At present, simple, accurate, and efficient prognostic tools for the evaluation of cases with early-stage sepsis in the emergency department (ED) are lacking. An increased blood urea nitrogen to albumin ratio (BAR) has previously been shown to be a valuable biomarker with predictive utility in several diseases. The relationship between BAR and sepsis patient outcomes, however, is not well-understood. This exploration was thus developed for the exploration of the link between BAR values and the short-term prognosis of cases with sepsis.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort research of sepsis cases admitted to the West China Hospital of Sichuan University ED from July 2015 to June 2016. Laboratory data were collected upon ED admission, and 7-day all-cause mortality was the primary study endpoint. Relationships between BAR values and APACE II and SOFA scores were generated assessed with correlation coefficient heatmaps. Independent risk factors were identified through multivariate analyses, with the curves of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) being employed to gauge the value of BAR as a predictor of the risk of mortality in sepsis cases.

Results

In sum, 801 patients participated in the present investigation. BAR values were strongly correlated with APACHE II and SOFA scores. In a multivariate logistic regression assessment, BAR was identified as an independent predictor of mortality among patients with sepsis (HR=1.032, 95% CI: 1.010–1.055, P=0.004). BAR exhibited an AUC of 0.741 (95% CI: 0.688–0.793, P<0.001) when used to predict patient mortality risk, with 5.27 being the optimal BAR cut-off.

Conclusion

We found that BAR can be used as a reliable biomarker to predict mortality in patients with sepsis.

High Fibrinogen to Albumin Ratio: A Novel Marker for Risk of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia?

Background: Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is associated with poor prognosis after acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the parameters of coagulation function and evaluate the association between the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) and SAP in patients with AIS.

Patients and methods: A total of 932 consecutive patients with AIS were included. Coagulation parameters were measured at admission. All patients were classified into two groups according to the optimal cutoff FAR point at which the sum of the specificity and sensitivity was highest. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance potential confounding factors. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify predictors of SAP.

Results: A total of 100 (10.7%) patients were diagnosed with SAP. The data showed that fibrinogen, FAR, and D-dimer, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were higher in patients with SAP, while albumin was much lower. Patients with SAP showed a significantly increased FAR when compared with non-SAP (P < 0.001). Patients were assigned to groups of high FAR (≥0.0977) and low FAR (<0.0977) based on the optimal cut-off value. Propensity score matching analysis further confirmed the association between FAR and SAP. After adjusting for confounding and risk factors, multivariate regression analysis showed that the high FAR (≥0.0977) was an independent variable predicting the occurrence of SAP (odds ratio =2.830, 95% CI = 1.654–4.840, P < 0.001). In addition, the FAR was higher in the severe pneumonia group when it was assessed by pneumonia severity index (P = 0.008).

Conclusions: High FAR is an independent potential risk factor of SAP, which can help clinicians identify high-risk patients with SAP after AIS.

Development and Validation of a Risk Nomogram Model for Predicting Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective

To establish a nomogram model to predict the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) by analyzing the risk factors of CI-AKI and to evaluate its effectiveness.

Methods

Retrospectively analyze the clinical data of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our cardiology department from September 2018 to June 2021. Of these, patients who underwent PCI in an earlier period formed the training cohort (70%; n = 809) for nomogram development, and those who underwent PCI thereafter formed the validation cohort (30%; n = 347) to confirm the model’s performance. The independent risk factors of CI-AKI were determined by LASSO regression and multivariable logistic regression analysis. By using R software from which nomogram models were subsequently generated. The nomogram was developed and evaluated based on discrimination, calibration, and clinical efficacy using the concordance statistic (C-statistic), calibration plot, and decision curve analysis (DCA), respectively.

Results

The nomogram consisted of six variables: age >75, left ventricular ejection fraction, diabetes mellitus, fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and lymphocyte count. The C-index of the nomogram is 0.835 (95% CI: 0.800–0.871) in the training cohort and 0.767 (95% CI: 0.711–0.824) in the validation cohort, respectively. The calibration plots exhibited that the nomogram was in good agreement between prediction and observation in the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve suggested that the predictive nomogram had clinical utility.

Conclusion

The nomogram model established has a good degree of differentiation and accuracy, which is intuitively and individually to screen high-risk groups and has a certain predictive value for the occurrence of CI-AKI in NSTE-ACS patients after PCI.

Fibrinogen and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases-Review of the Literature and Clinical Studies

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), including coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, represent a significant cause of premature death worldwide. Biomarkers, the evaluation of which would allow the detection of ASCVD at the earliest stage of development, are intensively sought. Moreover, from a clinical point of view, a valuable biomarker should also enable the assessment of the patient’s prognosis. It has been known for many years that the concentration of fibrinogen in plasma increases, inter alia, in patients with ASCVD. On the one hand, an increased plasma fibrinogen concentration may be the cause of the development of atherosclerotic lesions (increased risk of atherothrombosis); on the other hand, it may be a biomarker of ASCVD, as it is an acute phase protein. In addition, a number of genetic polymorphisms and post-translational modifications of fibrinogen were demonstrated that may contribute to the risk of ASCVD. This review summarizes the current data on the importance of fibrinogen as a biomarker of ASCVD, and also presents the relationship between molecular modifications of this protein in the context of ASCVD.