Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42042925›Full record

ArticleMetabolites2026

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as Markers of Cardiovascular Disease and Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Large Cohort Study.

Anastasios Zagaliotis, Athanasios Roumeliotis, Stefanos Roumeliotis, Ioannis E Neofytou, Garyfallia Varouktsi, Eirini Leptokaridou-Mourtzila, Aikaterini Stamou, Vasiliki Sgouropoulou, Gordana Kocic, Andrej Veljkovic and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolites, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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

14 authors.

Anastasios ZagaliotisSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Athanasios RoumeliotisSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Stefanos RoumeliotisSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-9423-649X
Ioannis E NeofytouSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Garyfallia VarouktsiSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Eirini Leptokaridou-MourtzilaSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Aikaterini StamouSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Vasiliki SgouropoulouSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-2947-3234
Gordana KocicInstitute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, 18108 Nis, Serbia.
Andrej VeljkovicFaculty of Medicine, University of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia.
Rudolf BittnerDepartment of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0005-7419-2521
Willi Jahnen-DechentHelmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Biointerface Lab, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1315-4407
Leon J SchurgersDepartment of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7867-6957
Vassilios LiakopoulosSecond Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1 St. Kyriakidi Street, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-7564-2724

Funding

This work was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft granted to WJ-D. project ID 322900939
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesCardiovascular disease (CVD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) arises from a multifaceted interplay of pathophysiological processes, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), and accelerated vascular calcification (VC). Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have emerged as simple, inexpensive, and readily available hematological indices that may capture these underlying disturbances. As such, they hold promise as accessible biomarkers for stratifying cardiovascular risk in patients with CKD.

methodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled 497 patients, comprising 477 with CKD across all stages and 20 controls. We evaluated the associations of RDW and NLR with both traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors, as well as with serum calcification propensity (T50). Spearman's correlation and multivariable regression analysis were used to assess these relationships.

resultsBoth RDW and NLR were significantly elevated in patients with established CVD (

conclusionsRDW and NLR strongly reflect the burden of inflammation, metabolic disturbance, and vascular dysfunction in patients across the CKD spectrum. The consistent associations with impaired calcification defense and with established cardiovascular risk markers underscore the potential value as accessible indicators of cardiovascular vulnerability in CKD. These findings support incorporating RDW and NLR into routine risk assessment and highlight T50 as a mechanistically relevant determinant of hematologic inflammation profiles.

Indexed as

cardiovascular disease biomarkerscardiovascular risk factorsCKDfetuin-ANLRoxidative stressRDWT50vascular calcification

Identifiers

PMID42042925
PMCPMC13118469

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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.