FIB-4 Index and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte-Ratio as Death Predictor in Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-associated liver fibrosis is likely related tocoronary artery disease (CAD) by the mediation of systemic inflammation. This study aimed atevaluating the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR) and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4),indices of inflammation and fibrosis, respectively, on CAD mortality. Data from 1460 CAD patients(1151 males, age: 68 10 years, mean SD) were retrospectively analyzed. Over a median follow-upof 26 months (interquartile range (IQR) 12-45), 94 deaths were recorded. Kaplan-Meier survivalanalysis revealed worse outcomes in patients with elevation of one or both biomarkers (FIB-4 > 3.25or/and NLR > 2.04, log-rank p-value < 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the elevationof one biomarker (NLR or FIB-4) still confers a significant independent risk for mortality (hazardratio (HR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.1-2.7, p = 0.023), whereas an increase in bothbiomarkers confers a risk corresponding to HR = 3.5 (95% CI: 1.6-7.8, p = 0.002). Categorizationof patients with elevated FIB-4/NLR could provide valuable information for risk stratification andreduction of residual risk in CAD patients.