Preoperative Red Cell Distribution Width as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Introduction: We hypothesized that the red cell distribution width (RDW) would predict the outcome of surgical revascularization of patients with coronary artery disease.Materials and Methods: Ninety four patients with severe coronary artery disease who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting were included in this study. A total of 94 patients were divided into tertiles based on their preprocedural RDW (mean RDW: tertile 1, 12.68 ± 0.60; tertile 2: 13.64 ± 0.49; tertile 3, 16.47 ± 2.04).Results: There were a total of 18 (19.1%) deaths over a mean follow-up of 51 months. Patients with a high RDW showed the highest mortality (34%) as compared to patients with medium (10%) and low RDW (13%). In multivariable regression modeling, RDW > 14.6 was a significant independent predictor of five year outcome in mortality.Conclusion: In conclusion, elevated preprocedural RDW in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with increased risk of long-term mortality.