Prognostic value of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio for cardiovascular diseases: research progress.

Abstract

The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple, reliable, and easily accessible composite index that has garnered increasing attention in cardiovascular research. NLR is closely associated with the onset, progression, and prognosis of various cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews the etiological and prognostic roles of NLR in cardiovascular conditions such as coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, arrhythmia, heart failure, and valvular heart disease. Studies have shown that NLR is involved in the pathophysiologic processes of these diseases and holds significant predictive value for their prognosis. Additionally, compared to other inflammatory markers, NLR offers advantages such as low cost, repeatability, and the ability to be measured at the community-level primary healthcare settings, thus providing new insight for prognostic prediction in conditions like coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, hypertension, heart failure, and valvular heart disease.