Predictors of survival after cerebral infarction: importance of cardiac factors

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in much of the developed world. There are two approaches to lowering mortality from stroke: reducing the incidence of stroke and reducing case fatality rate. Aims: To determine factors, identified at presentation, that were predictive of mortality in elderly persons with acute cerebral infarction. Methods: A consecutive series of 215 elderly persons admitted to hospital with acute cerebral infarction, confirmed by computerised tomography, were followed for an average of one year. A proportional hazards model was used to identify predictors of mortality. Results: The following variables were identified on univariate analysis as predictors of death: raised serum creatinine, interstitial oedema on chest radiograph, low score on the Mini-Mental State Examination, atrial fibrillation, advanced age, cardiomegaly, raised leucocyte count, pulmonary venous congestion and homonymous hemianopia. Interstitial oedema was the most powerful predictor of death among the four measures of cardiac status. Two successful multivariate models included: 1) interstitial oedema, serum creatinine, age and homonymous hemianopia; 2) serum creatinine and Mini-Mental State Score. Further studies are required to assess the relationship between elevated serum creatinine and poor survival following stroke.     

Risks associated with renal dysfunction in patients in the coronary care unit

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of baseline renal dysfunction on morbidity and mortality in patients in the coronary care unit (CCU). BACKGROUND: The presence of renal dysfunction is an established independent predictor of survival after acute myocardial infarction and revascularization procedures. METHODS: We analyzed a prospective CCU registry of 12,648 admissions by 9,557 patients over eight years at a single, tertiary center. Admission serum creatinine was available in 9,544 patients. Those not on long-term dialysis were classified into quartiles of corrected creatinine clearance, with cut-points of 46.2, 63.1 and 81.5 ml/min per 72 kg. Dialysis patients (n = 527) were considered as a fifth comparison group. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics, including older age, African-American race, diabetes, hypertension, previous coronary disease and heart failure, were incrementally more common across increasing renal dysfunction strata. There were graded increases in the relative risk for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart block, asystole, development of pulmonary congestion, acute mitral regurgitation and cardiogenic shock across the risk strata. Survival analysis demonstrated an early mortality hazard for those with renal dysfunction, but not on dialysis, for the first 60 months, followed by graded decrements in survival across increasing renal dysfunction strata. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline renal function is a powerful predictor of short- and long-term events in the CCU population. There is an early hazard for in-hospital and postdischarge mortality for those with a corrected creatinine clearance <46.2 ml/min per kg, but not on dialysis.     

Prognostic significance of creatinine clearance rate in patients with heart failure and normal serum creatinine

Kidney failure is an important prognostic factor in patients with heart failure. Renal function is usually evaluated by measuring the serum creatinine level. However, a normal creatinine level can mask established kidney failure. We investigated the prognostic significance of the estimated creatinine clearance rate (Cockcroft formula) in 235 patients with heart failure and a normal serum creatinine level. The two-year mortality rate was significantly higher in patients who had established kidney disease (i.e., a creatinine clearance rate <60 mL/min) than in those who did not (35.1% vs. 10.1%, P<.001). Even when only patients without established kidney failure were analyzed, the creatinine clearance rate had prognostic significance (rate > or = 90 mL/min, mortality 3.2%; rate 89-60 mL/min, mortality 13.9%; P=.02). On Cox regression analysis, which included age, sex, heart failure etiology, left ventricular ejection fraction, diabetes and hypertension, the creatinine clearance rate remained an independent predictor of mortality.     

Abnormalities of kidney function as a cause and a consequence of cardiovascular disease

Hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), hypercreatininemia, and microalbuminuria (MA) are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hypertension increases the risk of CVD by two- to three-fold and LVH (especially concentric) is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. In people with hypertension, a serum creatinine level of 1.7 mg/dL or more may be an even stronger CVD risk factor than diabetes, smoking, LVH, or systolic blood pressure. Similarly, MA is a strong and independent predictor of CVD morbidity and mortality in people with and without diabetes and/or hypertension. Impaired renal sodium handling and sodium retention are physiological hallmarks of the very early stages of heart failure. Heart failure is a physiologically delicate condition that can decompensate with excess dietary salt intake or over diuresis, or compensate with cautious therapy designed to block the sodium retention and simultaneously interrupt excessively activated neurohumoral mechanisms.     

Homocysteine and cardiovascular disease: a 17-year follow-up study in Busselton.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Prospective assessment of serum homocysteine level in relation to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. DESIGN: Case-cohort study with 17 years follow up. METHODS: Homocysteine was measured from stored serum. Proportional hazards regression models were used to obtain adjusted hazard ratios. RESULTS: There was no significant overall relationship between homocysteine and cardiovascular disease after controlling for known confounders. For women, removal of creatinine from the multivariate model resulted in a significant relationship. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide little support for a significant independent relationship between level of homocysteine and risk of CHD or stroke in men and women with no evidence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease.     

Haemoglobin predicts survival in patients with chronic heart failure: a substudy of the ELITE II trial.

AIMS: The correction of anaemia in chronic heart failure (CHF) has been suggested to be associated with an improvement in symptoms and cardiac function. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the concentration of haemoglobin and survival in CHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analysed haemoglobin concentrations in 3044 patients recruited in the Evaluation of Losartan In The Elderly (ELITE II) trial. Patients of mean age 71.5 +/- 6.8 years (+/-SD) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2.5 +/- 0.6 were enrolled from June 1997 to May 1998 and followed-up for survival (range 1-780 days, median 551). In univariate analysis, age, NYHA class, serum creatinine, left ventricular ejection fraction (all P<0.0001) and sex (P=0.046) all predicted survival. Haemoglobin as a continuous variable for all patients was not a significant prognostic marker (P=0.26). However, sub-dividing patients according to 1.0 g/dL increments of haemoglobin revealed that the survival relationship was non-linear. The results from the polynomial regression suggest that the optimal interval is a symmetric one centred around 14.5 g/dL. This was independent of age, sex, NYHA class, left ventricular ejection fraction, creatinine, co-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and treatment allocation (P<0.001). There was a minor fall in plasma haemoglobin at the 12-month follow-up (mean change for all patients 0.3 +/- 2.2 g/dL, P<0.0001), with no difference between captopril and losartan groups (P>0.3). CONCLUSION: Haemoglobin is an independent predictor of mortality in CHF patients, with anaemic and polycythaemic patients having the worst survival.     

Multivariate regression analysis on early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation

AIM: To identify the risk factors relating to early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation.METHODS:Clinical data of 37 adult patients undergoing liver transplantation were retrospectively collected and divided into two groups: the survived group and the death group (survival time<30 d). The relationship between multivariate risk factors and early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation were analyzed by stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: The survival rate was 73%. Early mortality rate was 27%. APACAE III, preoperative serum creatinine level and interoperative bleeding quantity had a significant independent association with early mortality. (R=0.1841, 0.2056 and 0.3738). CONCLUSION: APACHE III,preoperative serum creatinine level and interoperative bleeding quantity are significant risk factors relating to early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation.To improve the recipient's preoperative critical condition and renal function and to reduce interoperative bleeding quantity could lower the early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation.     

血清肌酐水平对ST段抬高性心肌梗死急诊PCI治疗患者预后的影响

目的探讨血清肌酐水平对ST段抬高性心肌梗死（STEMI）急诊经皮冠状动脉介入治疗（PCI）患者预后的影响。方法接受急诊PCI治疗的495例STEMI患者,根据入院即刻肌酐水平分为肌酐正常组409例和肌酐升高组86例,随诊1 a,比较两组患者院内和1 a时的病死率及主要不良心脏事件（MACE,包括死亡、心肌梗死、需要血运重建的心绞痛）的发生情况。结果入院肌酐升高组患者与正常组比较,年龄大,高血压患者发病率及既往心肌梗死发病率高,心功能差,院内病死率和随访1 a时病死率、MACE发生率均较高,差异有统计学意义（P均〈0.05）。多变量回归分析显示,入院肌酐水平与STEMI接受急诊PCI治疗患者1 a病死率密切相关（RR=1.41,95%CI：1.24-2.69,P=0.02）。结论STEMI接受急诊PCI治疗患者入院时的肌酐水平对预测患者预后有重要意义。     

Cystatin C blood level as a risk factor for death after heart surgery.

AIMS: Pre-operative renal dysfunction is a known risk factor for mortality and morbidity after heart surgery. Despite limited accuracy, serum creatinine is widely used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Cystatin C is more accurate for assessing GFR. The aim of the present study was to assess associations between GFR estimated from serum cystatin C levels before heart surgery and hospital mortality, hospital morbidity, and 1 year mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective single-centre observational study, clinical risk factors for morbidity and mortality were recorded and serum creatinine and cystatin C levels were measured in patients admitted for heart surgery. Hospital mortality and morbidity and 1 year mortality were recorded. Over an 8 month period, 499 patients were screened, among whom 376 (74.5%) were included in the study. Hospital mortality was 5.6% (21 patients) and 1 year mortality was 10.2%. Hospital morbidity, defined by a length of stay above the 75th percentile, was 22.1% (83 patients). In the multivariable analysis, GFR estimated from serum cystatin C, but not GFR estimated from serum creatinine, was an independent risk factor for hospital morbidity/mortality (odds ratio per 10 mL/min of GFR decrease, 1.20 (1.07-1.34), P = 0.001) and for 1 year mortality (hazards ratio per 10 mL/min of GFR decrease, 1.26 (1.09-1.46), P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative GFR estimation from serum cystatin C may provide a better risk assessment than pre-operative GFR estimation from serum creatinine in patients scheduled for heart surgery.     

Renal insufficiency as a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in elderly individuals

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between elevated creatinine levels and cardiovascular events. BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The association of mild to moderate renal insufficiency with cardiovascular outcomes remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a prospective population-based study of subjects, aged >65 years, who had a serum creatinine measured at baseline (n = 5,808) and were followed for a median of 7.3 years. Proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of creatinine to all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Renal insufficiency was defined as a creatinine level > or =1.5 mg/dl in men or > or =1.3 mg/dl in women. RESULTS: An elevated creatinine level was present in 648 (11.2%) participants. Subjects with elevated creatinine had higher overall (76.7 vs. 29.5/1,000 years, p < 0.001) and cardiovascular (35.8 vs. 13.0/1,000 years, p < 0.001) mortality than those with normal creatinine levels. They were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (54.0 vs. 31.8/1,000 years, p < 0.001), stroke (21.1 vs. 11.9/1,000 years, p < 0.001), congestive heart failure (38.7 vs. 17/1,000 years, p < 0.001), and symptomatic peripheral vascular disease (10.6 vs. 3.5/1,000 years, p < 0.001). After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical disease measures, elevated creatinine remained a significant predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, total cardiovascular disease (CVD), claudication, and congestive heart failure (CHF). A linear increase in risk was observed with increasing creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated creatinine levels are common in older adults and are associated with increased risk of mortality, CVD, and CHF. The increased risk is apparent early in renal disease.     

Effect of elevated admission serum creatinine and its worsening on outcome in hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure

Renal insufficiency (RI), as represented by elevated serum creatinine (>1.5 mg/dl) on admission, is common and found in almost half of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. This finding is associated with prolongation of length of stay and rate of rehospitalizations after discharge and also has an independent unfavorable effect on 6-month mortality. Similarly, an increase in serum creatinine (>0.5 mg/dl) in the hospital results in a significantly longer length of stay and has an independent effect on long-term mortality.     

Impact of early and delayed stroke on in-hospital and long-term mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting

Stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an infrequent, yet devastating complication with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine risk factors for early (intraoperatively to 24 hours) and delayed (>24 hours to discharge) stroke and to identify their impact on long-term mortality after CABG. We studied 4,140 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG from 1992 to 2003. Long-term survival data (mean follow-up 7.4 years) were obtained from the National Death Index. Independent predictors for stroke and in-hospital mortality were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis including all available preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors. Independent predictors for long-term mortality were determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis. One hundred two patients (2.5%) developed early stroke and 36 patients (0.9%) delayed stroke. Independent predictors for early stroke were age, recent myocardial infarction, smoking, femoral vascular disease, body mass index, reoperation for bleeding, postoperative sepsis and/or endocarditis, and respiratory failure, whereas those for delayed stroke were female gender, white race, preoperative renal failure, respiratory failure, and postoperative renal failure. Early stroke was an independent predictor for in-hospital (odds ratio 3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56 to 7.80, p = 0.002) and long-term (hazard ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.21, p <0.001) mortalities. Delayed stroke was not an independent predictor for in-hospital (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.23 to 3.51, p = 0.878) or long-term (hazard ratio 0.66, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.17, p = 0.156) mortality. In conclusion, risk factors for early in-hospital stroke differ from those of delayed in-hospital stroke after CABG. Early stroke is an independent predictor for in-hospital and long-term mortalities, suggesting the need for a more frequent follow-up and appropriate pharmacologic therapy after discharge.     

Clinical value of increased serum creatinine concentration as predictor of short-term outcome in decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess whether serum creatinine concentration alone or associated with other biological parameters was an independent predictor of short-term mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. METHODS: A total of 212 consecutive episodes of decompensated cirrhosis in patients admitted to the hospital between January 1999 and December 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Depending on a serum creatinine concentration equal to or greater than 1.5 mg/dL at the time of admission, patients were divided into decompensated cirrhosis with renal failure (101 episodes in 59 patients, aged 69.8 +/- 10 years) and without renal failure (111 episodes in 61 patients, aged 64.5 +/- 13 years). Outcome (alive, death) during the episode of decompensation of liver disease and outcome at 90 days after admission were assessed. RESULTS: Differences in the frequency of variables according to outcome in the overall episodes of decompensated cirrhosis with and without renal failure showed significant differences between patients who died and those who were alive both at hospital discharge and at 90 days in serum bilirubin, Child-Pugh score, MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) score, and serum creatinine levels. In the multivariate analysis, serum creatinine was not an independent predictor of outcome. The prediction accuracy according to the area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve was greater for the MELD scale than for serum creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: Serum creatinine concentration is a parameter that should be included in the prognostic assessment of patients with decompensated cirrhosis, but should be combined with other specific parameters of liver function, such as bilirubin, albumin, and the international normalized ratio (INR) for prothrombin time.     

Low and high circulating cortisol levels predict mortality and cognitive dysfunction early after stroke

OBJECTIVE: Elevated cortisol levels are associated with confusion and poor outcome after stroke. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DS), the most abundant adrenal androgen may act as an anti-glucocorticoid. An altered regulation of these steroids may affect numerous brain functions, including neuronal survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum cortisol and DS levels and the cortisol/DS ratio early after stroke and relate our findings to the presence of disorientation and mortality. DESIGN: Patients with acute ischaemic stroke (n = 88, 56 men and 32 women) admitted to a stroke unit were investigated with repeated clinical assessments and scores for degree of confusion, extent of paresis and level of functioning. Serum cortisol (C) and DS were measured on day 1 and/or day 4. Data for 28-day and 1-year mortality are presented. A control group of 65 age-matched healthy individuals was used. Multivariate analyses of mortality rates in the different tertiles or sixtiles of serum cortisol were performed with logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, diabetes and level of consciousness. RESULTS: There was no difference in serum cortisol levels on day 1 for stroke patients when compared with control group values. Initial cortisol levels were significantly higher in the patients with acute disorientation versus orientated patients (P < 0.05). Cortisol levels on day 1 were an independent predictor of 28-day mortality, and patients with low cortisol levels (<270 nmol L(-1)) and increased levels (>550 nmol L(-1)) both had an increased 1-year mortality. DS levels on day 1 were significantly elevated in stroke patients. CONCLUSION: Hypercortisolism is associated with cognitive dysfunction early after ischaemic stroke. High and low circulating cortisol levels are associated with increased mortality after stroke. DS levels were not associated with clinical outcome.     

Cystatin C: a step forward in assessing kidney function and cardiovascular risk

The cardiorenal syndrome is a clinical manifestation of the bidirectional interaction between the heart and kidneys. Evaluating renal function is an essential part of the assessment of every cardiac patient. It has become clear that serum creatinine is not an accurate enough marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and should not be used to evaluate kidney dysfunction. Creatinine-based estimates of GFR are preferred, but require renal function to be stable and are not suitable when changes in kidney function occur. Cystatin C (CysC) has been the target of much interest in the search for an alternative measure of GFR. As an endogenous biomarker, CysC possesses many of the properties required of a good marker of renal function. Compared with that of creatinine, plasma concentrations of CysC are less influenced by factors other than GFR. Consequently, CysC correlates with true GFR more accurately than creatinine. Equations for estimating GFR from CysC values have also been developed, which makes values easier to interpret and facilitates the clinical use of this new marker. The use of CysC in acute kidney injury has also shown promising results. CysC has been studied as a risk marker for prognosis in cardiovascular disease. This effect is attributed to the strong impact of renal dysfunction on progressive cardiovascular disease and impaired survival. Higher levels of CysC have consistently been predictive of incident or recurrent cardiovascular events and adverse outcomes. CysC is a predictor of the development of heart failure and increased levels of CysC have an independent association with higher mortality in both chronic and acute heart failure. In conclusion, CysC appears to be an interesting marker of renal function and is useful for risk stratification in heart failure.     

Urinary albumin concentration and long-term cardiovascular risk in acute coronary syndrome patients: a PROVE IT-TIMI 22 substudy

Albuminuria has been shown to be associated with mortality and cardiovascular events, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. This suggests that albuminuria may not just represent glomerular damage, but may be a marker of more diffuse endothelial dysfunction. We investigated the relationship between urinary albumin levels after an acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular outcomes in statin treated subjects after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Furthermore we assessed the effect of intensive statin treatment on albuminuria among patients in the PROVE IT-TIMI 22 trial, in which patients who had been hospitalized with ACS were randomized to pravastatin 40 mg (standard therapy) or atorvastatin 80 mg daily (intensive therapy). In univariate analyses, increasing urine albumin concentration was associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and composite of death, myocardial infarction and stroke at 2 years. However, in a multivariable model containing traditional cardiovascular risk factors, albuminuria was not an independent predictor of the primary PROVE IT endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, revascularization and stroke, and was only an independent predictor of all-cause mortality at urinary albumin concentration >300 mcg/ml. There was no significant change in urinary albumin concentration from enrolment to end of study in either the standard or intensive statin therapy groups, and no significant difference between treatment groups. Our results suggest that after an acute coronary syndrome in statin treated patients, microalbuminuria may reflect traditional cardiovascular risk factor burden and offer little prognostic information independent of those factors.     

血清肌酐水平对急性心肌梗死患者预后的影响

目的评估血清肌酐增高对急性心肌梗死（AMI）患者临床及预后的影响。方法分析因AMI住院患者共340例,分为肌酐正常组269例,高肌酐组71例,随诊1年,观察并比较两组患者心源性休克、心力衰竭、心室颤动、Ⅲ度房室传导阻滞及30d病死率、住院病死率、随诊1年病死率的差异。结果高肌酐组患者年龄大、心肌梗死病史多;心源性休克、心力衰竭、心室颤动、Ⅲ度房室传导阻滞的发生率明显增加（P值分别为0．003、0．031、0．000、0．001）,30d病死率（32．39％比4．83％,P=0．000）、住院病死率（35．21％比5．20％,P=0．000）、1年病死率（43．66％比11．15％,P=0．000）都明显增高。Cox回归分析结果提示血清肌酐是30d死亡的独立危险因素（OR=4．591,95％CI2．149～9．808,P=0．000）,也是AMI1年死亡的独立危险因素（OR=3．936,95％CI2．264～6．845,P=0．000）。结论AMI患者血清肌酐水平增高30d病死率、住院病死率及1年病死率均明显增加;高血清肌酐是AMI预后的独立危险因素。     

微量白蛋白尿与冠状动脉病变的关系

目的研究冠心病患者微量白蛋白尿与冠状动脉病变的相关性。方法研究对象为87例经冠状动脉造影确诊为冠心病的住院患者。对其冠状动脉进行血管病变评分,计算冠状动脉病变支数,同时检测其尿白蛋白/肌酐浓度值(ACR)、血清C反应蛋白(CRP)水平及其他指标,并与35例冠状动脉造影为非冠心病的患者进行比较。结果冠心病组LGACR及LGCRP水平明显高于非冠心病组(P<0.05),LGACR随着冠状动脉病变支数的增加而增加,LGACR与冠状动脉病变评分及冠状动脉病变支数独立相关,而LGCRP与冠状动脉病变评分及冠状动脉病变支数之间无明显相关性。LGACR与LGCRP均为冠心病的独立危险因素。结论微量白蛋白尿与冠状动脉病变范围和程度密切相关,且对冠状动脉狭窄程度具有独立预测价值。     

Prognostic Value of Elevated Serum Ceruloplasmin Levels in Patients With Heart Failure

BackgroundCeruloplasmin (Cp) is a copper-binding acute-phase protein that is increased in inflammatory states and deficient in Wilson's disease. Recent studies demonstrate that increased levels of Cp are associated with increased risk of developing heart failure. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that serum Cp provides incremental and independent prediction of survival in stable patients with heart failure.Methods and ResultsWe measured serum Cp levels in 890 patients with stable heart failure undergoing elective cardiac evaluation that included coronary angiography. We examined the role of Cp levels in predicting survival over 5 years of follow-up. Mean Cp level was 26.6 ± 6.9 mg/dL and demonstrated relatively weak correlation with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; r = 0.187; P < .001). Increased Cp levels were associated with increased 5-year all-cause mortality (quartile [Q] 4 vs Q1 hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–2.8; P < .001). When controlled for coronary disease traditional risk factors, creatinine clearance, dialysis, body mass index, medications, history of myocardial infarction, BNP, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), heart rate, QRS duration, left bundle branch blockage, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement, higher Cp remained an independent predictor of increased mortality (Q4 vs Q1 HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.6; P < .05). Model quality was improved with addition of Cp to the aforementioned covariables (net reclassification improvement of 9.3%; P < .001).ConclusionsCeruloplasmin is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Measurement of Cp may help to identify patients at heightened mortality risk.     

Usefulness of an elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in predicting long-term mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention

The neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is a recently described independent predictor of death/myocardial infarction in patients who have undergone coronary angiography. We hypothesized that an elevated N/L ratio would be a predictor of long-term mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 1,046 patients who underwent PCI were divided into tertiles based on their preprocedural N/L ratio (mean N/L ratio, tertile 1, 1.7 +/- 0.5; tertile 2: 3.2 +/- 0.6; tertile 3, 11.2 +/- 12.9). Vital status was assessed using the Social Security Death Index. There were a total of 144 deaths over a mean follow-up of 32 months. The best survival was seen in tertile 1, with an increase in long-term mortality seen in tertiles 2 and 3 (p <0.0001). In multivariable modeling, after adjusting for age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, left ventricular ejection fraction, serum hemoglobin, serum creatinine, and lesion severity, the log N/L, but not the white blood cell count, was an independent significant predictor of long-term mortality (hazard ratio 1.85, 95% confidence interval 1.3, to 3.04, p = 0.01). The risk persisted when patients with an acute myocardial infarction were excluded from the analysis (hazard ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 4.4, p = 0.002). In conclusion, an elevated preprocedural N/L ratio in patients undergoing PCI is associated with an increased risk of long-term mortality.