Correlation between admission red cell distribution width and GRACE risk score as an early mortality marker in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a measurement of the size variation of red blood cells in circulation. The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score is the most commonly used risk-stratification scoring system to predict mortality in acute coronary syndrome for both ST- elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The aim of this study was to assess the easily determinable red blood cell distribution width (RDW) as an early mortality marker of acute myocardial infarction (MI) mortality and the correlation of RDW-CV on admission with GRACE risk score in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods: This hospital-based, prospective observational study included 211 patients (mean age 58.15 +/- 12.45 years, male 176) admitted with acute MI (STEMI/NSTEMI) from January 2022 to June 2022. The study population was divided into two groups basing on the 50th percentile of the admission RDW-CV value -13.7. The GRACE score was calculated on admission to predict the GRACE in hospital mortality score within 24 hours of admission. Results: The study found that the higher RDW-CV values were associated with adverse prognostic factors in acute myocardial infarction like increased age, lower systolic blood pressure, heart failure, cardiac arrest, higher cardiac biomarker levels and higher in-hospital mortality (p = 0.049, level of significance p< 0.05) and this correlated with a higher GRACE score (Pearson’s correlation coefficient R= 0.47, P<0.05). Conclusion: Thus, RDW can be used as a useful parameter for predicting in-hospital mortality in acute MI patients.