A novel and useful predictive indicator of prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the prognostic nutritional index.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prognostic impact of poor nutritional status and cardiac cachexia in myocardial infarction is not clearly understood. Recent studies have implied a prognostic value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in colorectal surgeries and postoperative septic complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of PNI in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (3 years) prognostic impact of PNI on 1823 patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients with lower PNI had significantly higher in-hospital and long-term mortality and major adverse cardiac events. After adjustment for all confounders, the in-hospital mortality rates were 7.9 times higher at the lower PNI level (95% CI: 5.0-15.8) than those at the higher PNI level. The long-term mortality rates were also 6.4 times higher at the lower PNI level (95% CI: 4.4-12.4) than those at the higher PNI level.

CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the PNI, calculated based on the serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, is an independent prognostic factor for mortality in patients with STEMI.