Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32393221›Full record

ArticleBMC pulmonary medicine2020

Baseline low ALT activity is associated with increased long-term mortality after COPD exacerbations.

N Lasman, M Shalom, N Turpashvili, G Goldhaber, Y Lifshitz, E Leibowitz, G Berger, G Saltzman-Shenhav, A Brom, D Cohen and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Low Alanine Aminotransferase Blood Activity, a Biomarker of Sarcopenia and Frailty, is Associated With Worse Post-Total Laryngectomy Clinical Outcomes. A Retrospective Analysis of 427 Patients.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

N LasmanInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
M ShalomInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
N TurpashviliInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
G GoldhaberInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Y LifshitzInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
E LeibowitzDepartment of Internal Medicine "A", Yoseftal Hospital, Eilat, Israel.
G BergerDepartment of Internal Medicine "B", Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
G Saltzman-ShenhavInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
A BromInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
D CohenInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
C AvakyInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel.
G SegalInternal medicine T, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 2nd Sheba road, Ramat Gan, Israel. Gad.segal@sheba.health.gov.il.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3851-3245

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOPD exacerbations have negative impact on patients' survival. Several risk factors for grave outcomes of such exacerbations have been descried. Muscle dysfunction and mass loss were shown to impact negatively on prognosis and survival. Low activity of the enzyme ALT (Alanine amino-transferase) in the blood is a known indicator for sarcopenia and frailty, however, no previous studies addressed the association of low ALT amongst patients hospitalized due to COPD exacerbation and long-term survival.

methodsThis is a historic prospective cohort study of patients hospitalized due to acute COPD exacerbation.

resultsIncluded were 232 consecutive COPD exacerbation patients. The median time of follow-up was 34.9 months (IQR 23.13-41.73 months). During this period 104 (44.8%) patients died. All patients were grouped to quartiles according to blood ALT levels (after exclusion of cases considered to have hepatic tissue damage (ALT > 40 IU)). The risk of long-term mortality increased, in a statistically significant manner, amongst patients with low ALT values: the median survival of patients with ALT < 11 IU was 18.5 months only while the median survival for the rest of the study group was not reached. For ALT < 11 IU; 12-16 IU; 17-20 IU and > 21 IU the mortality rates were 69%; 40.9%; 36.3 and 25% respectively (p <  0.001 for comparison of lower quartile with upper three quartiles). The crude hazard ratio for mortality amongst patients with ALT levels lower than 11 IU was 2.37 (95% CI; 1.6-3.5). This increased risk of mortality remained significant after adjustment for age, weight, creatinine, albumin concentration and cardiovascular diseases (HR = 1.83; 95% CI 1.08-3.1, p <  0.05).

conclusionsLow ALT values, a biomarker of sarcopenia and frailty, are associated with poor long-term survival amongst patients hospitalized due to COPD exacerbation.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAlanine TransaminaseBiomarkersDisease ProgressionFemaleFrailtyHumansIsraelMaleMiddle AgedMortalityPrognosisProspective StudiesPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveRisk FactorsAlanine TransaminaseBiomarkersALTCOPDExacerbationFrailtySarcopeniaSurvival

Identifiers

PMID32393221
PMCPMC7216624

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.