Higher Lactate Dehydrogenase-to-Albumin Ratio Associated With Increased Readmissions and Mortality in Heart Failure

This retrospective cohort study evaluated 1,084 hospitalized patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction. The setting was a hospital environment with a mean follow-up of 29.3 months. The study examined the lactate dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio (LAR) as the primary exposure of interest against a comparator that was not reported.

Higher LAR levels were independently associated with increased risks across multiple outcomes. For HF-related readmissions, the hazard ratio was 1.602 with a 95% CI:1.088–2.359. All-cause mortality showed a hazard ratio of 2.008 and a 95% CI:1.155–3.492. The composite endpoint demonstrated a hazard ratio of 1.648 and a 95% CI:1.184–2.295. These results indicate a strong statistical association between elevated LAR and adverse clinical events.

Safety data regarding adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations were not reported in this analysis. The study limitations were not explicitly detailed in the provided data. While the association is statistically significant, the observational nature precludes causal inference. Clinicians should consider these biomarkers as potential prognostic indicators rather than therapeutic targets based on this evidence alone. Further prospective research is needed to validate these findings.