The effect of CRP/Albumin ratio, a novel inflammatory marker, on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Among these, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) holds particular importance due to its acute onset and high risk of mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin ratio in predicting in-hospital mortality among patients diagnosed with STEMI. The study sample consisted of 100 patients. Due to the non-normal distribution of data, non-parametric tests were applied. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between two independent groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for comparisons among multiple categories. ROC analysis was conducted to assess the prognostic performance of the CRP/Albumin ratio, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between variables. According to the findings, the area under the curve (AUC) for the CRP/Albumin ratio was calculated as 0.583 and was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Similarly, the correlation between CRP/Albumin ratio and in-hospital mortality was not statistically significant. Based on these results, the hypothesis suggesting that the CRP/Albumin ratio could predict mortality (H₁) was rejected. Nevertheless, albumin levels showed a significant association with mortality, drawing attention to its potential as an independent prognostic indicator. Additionally, significant differences in hemoglobin and triglyceride levels were observed between gender groups, while age also showed a significant relationship with mortality. Patients with a history of diabetes exhibited significant differences in age, hemoglobin, and albumin levels. Those with hypertension demonstrated differences in HDL and triglyceride levels, and individuals with hyperlipidemia had significantly higher LDL, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. In conclusion, the CRP/Albumin ratio did not prove to be a reliable prognostic marker for in-hospital mortality in this sample. However, the strong associations observed with certain biomarkers, particularly albumin, suggest that further research with larger populations is warranted. Keywords: STEMI, Myocardial Infarction, CRP, Albumin, CRP/Albumin Ratio, Inflammation