Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in cancer survivors

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to evaluate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictive biomarker for cardiovascular mortality among cancer patients, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). From the NHANES dataset (2007–2018), we analyzed 4974 cancer survivors, investigating the prognostic significance of NLR for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer-specific mortality. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier methods. Optimal NLR cutoffs were identified as 2.61 for differentiating the higher NLR group from lower NLR group. Elevated NLR levels significantly correlated with increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.14, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08–1.21, P < 0.001) in adjusted models. Subgroup analyses revealed that age, sex, smoking status, and hypertension significantly influence NLR’s association with cardiovascular mortality. Specific cancers including breast, prostate, non-melanoma skin, colon and melanoma experience increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the higher NLR group compared to lower NLR group. Elevated NLR is a significant predictor of increased mortality in cancer patients, particularly for cardiovascular outcomes. These findings support that NLR acts as a pivotal prognostic tool with significant implications for clinical practice in the realm of cardio-oncology.

Keywords

• NLR
• Cardiovascular mortality
• Cancer participants
• NHANES