Comparison of laboratory findings and risk scores in patients over and under 65 years of age presenting to the emergency department with chest pain and diagnosed with fatal cardiovascular conditions

AİM: This study aims to evaluate differences in laboratory parameters and risk scores between patients aged ≥65 and <65 with fatal cardiovascular pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients presenting to the Emergency Department of Sakarya Training and Research Hospital with chest pain between January 1 and July 1, 2023, and hospitalized with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), Pulmonary Embolism (PE), or Aortic Dissection (AD) were included if their data were complete. Patients under 18, referred to other hospitals, or with incomplete data were excluded. Patients' demographic data, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory parameters, clinical scores, and in-hospital mortality were recorded from medical files. They were divided into two groups (≥65 and <65) and analyzed by diagnosis. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 21.0 software. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 64, with most being male. In the ≥65 group, urea (<0.001), creatinine (<0.001), troponin (0.002), C-reactive protein (CRP) (0.002), red cell distribution width (RDW) (<0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV) (0.004), neutrophil percentage (<0.001), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (<0.001), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (<0.001) were significantly higher. In the <65 group, white blood cell (WBC) count (0.002), red blood cell (RBC) count (<0.001), hemoglobin (<0.001), platelet count (<0.001), lymphocyte count (<0.001), and WBC/MPV ratio (<0.001) were higher. In ≥65 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score (<0.001) and in-hospital mortality rate (<0.001) were significantly higher. CONCLUSİON: Significant differences in blood parameters, inflammatory markers, and GRACE scores were found between patients aged ≥65 and <65 with fatal cardiovascular conditions. Keywords: Fatal chest pain, acute coronary syndrome, elderly patient, laboratory parameters, inflammatory markers