Prothrombin time-international normalized ratio tied to increased all-cause mortality

New research revealed that high levels of prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. The study was published in the journal 'BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.'

PT-INR is a marker of coagulation abnormalities that are generally used for monitoring patients on oral anticoagulant therapy. There is no clear association between PT-INR and long-term prognosis among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) without atrial fibrillation or anticoagulant therapy. So researchers from China conducted a study to analyze the association between PT-INR levels and long-term mortality in a large cohort of CAD patients without atrial fibrillation or using anticoagulant drugs.

Data from patients who were diagnosed with CAD and had follow-up information from 2008 to 2018 were included. Nearly 44,662 patients were included. All the included patients were divided into 4 groups. Quartile 1 had patients with PT-INR ≤ 0.96, Quartile2 had patients with 0.96 < PT-INR ≤ 1.01, Quartile3 had those between 1.01 < PT-INR ≤ 1.06, and Quartile4 had cases with PT-INR > 1.06. All-cause death was the main end point of measurement. the association between quartiles of PT-INR levels and long-term all-cause mortality was investigated using Kaplan–Meier curves analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results:

• Out of the total participants, During a median follow-up of 5.25 years, 5613 (12.57%) patients died.
• a non-linear-shaped association between PT-INR levels and long-term all-cause mortality was observed.
• Patients with high PT-INR levels (Quartile4: PT-INR > 1.06) showed a significantly higher long-term mortality than other groups (Quartile2 or 3 or 4).

Thus, the researchers concluded that high levels of PT-INR were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. 

To read the full article, click here: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-022-02619-4

Liu L, Ying M, Chen S, et al. The association between prothrombin time-international normalized ratio and long-term mortality in patients with coronary artery disease: a large cohort retrospective study with 44,662 patients. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2022;22(1):297.