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. 2023 Dec;45(1):2182615.
doi: 10.1080/0886022X.2023.2182615.

C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and six-month mortality in incident hemodialysis patients

Mariana Sant'Ana  1 , Joana Gameiro  2 , Cláudia Costa  3 , Carolina Branco  3 , Bernardo Marques da Silva  3 , Nadiesda Peres  3 , Ana Cardoso  4 , Ana Mafalda Abrantes  5 , José Agapito Fonseca  3 , Cristina Outerelo  3 , Cristina Resina  3 , José António Lopes  3
Affiliations

C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and six-month mortality in incident hemodialysis patients

Mariana Sant'Ana et al. Ren Fail. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The first few months of hemodialysis (HD) are associated with a higher risk of mortality. Protein-energy malnutrition is a demonstrated major risk factor for mortality in this population. The C-Reactive Protein to Albumin ratio (CAR) has also been associated with increased mortality risk. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of CAR for six-month mortality in incident HD patients.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of incident HD patients between January 2014 and December 2019. CAR was calculated at the start of HD. We analyzed six-month mortality. A Cox regression was performed to predict six-month mortality and the discriminatory ability of CAR was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results: A total of 787 patients were analyzed (mean age 68.34 ± 15.5 years and 60.6% male). The 6-month mortality was 13.8% (n = 109). Patients who died were significantly older (p < 0.001), had more cardiovascular disease (p = 0.010), had central venous catheter at the start of HD (p < 0.001), lower parathyroid hormone (PTH) level (p = 0.014) and higher CAR (p = 0.015). The AUC for mortality prediction was 0.706 (95% CI (0.65-0.76), p < 0.001). The optimal CAR cutoff was ≥0.5, HR 5.36 (95% CI 3.21-8.96, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: We demonstrated that higher CAR was significantly associated with a higher mortality risk in the first six months of HD, highlighting the prognostic importance of malnutrition and inflammation in patients starting chronic HD.

Keywords: Hemodialysis; inflammation; malnutrition; mortality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The results presented in this paper have not been published previously in whole or part, except in abstract format.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow-chart of patient selection.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Receiver operating curve of C-reactive protein, albumin, and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio to predict six-month mortality.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Cumulative survival of patients who started maintenance HD according to CAR ≥ 0.5.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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