A Study on relationship between Red Cell Distribution Width and HighDensity Lipoprotein-Cholesterol in patients with Acute coronary syndrome in a tertiary care hospital

Introduction: Acute coronary syndrome is a spectrum of disease consisting of ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina where the blood flow to the heart is decreased. According to WHO, India contributes to one-fifth of the world's deaths due to cardiovascular disease. In recent times, the RDW has been used as a helpful marker in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome. However, the relationship between RDW, HDL-C, and ACS has yet to be identified properly. Aim: To evaluate the association between HDL-C levels and the RDW among patients with ACS and to find its association with the various socio-demographic factors of the patient. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry between October 2023 and February 2024. Patients aged more than 18 with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome were included in the study. All the patients were subjected to a complete history followed by laboratory investigations, including the RDW, HDL-C, and troponin-I. Results: A total of 62 patients participated in the study. The mean age of the patients with ACS was found to be 55.6 + 3.4 years. The study didn’t show any association between the age (p=0.753), gender (p=0.897), residence (p=0.517), Type-2 DM (p=-.924), hypertension (p=0.615), dyslipidemia (p=0.302), smoking (p=0.565), alcohol (p=0.593), ACS type (p=0.714), Troponin-I (p=0.916), HDL-C (p=0.517) and RBS (p=0.078) with the level of the RDW. However, the study showed a significant association between BMI and RDW levels (p<0.001), and there is a significant and negative correlation was noted between the RDW and HDL-C levels (p=0.038). Conclusion: The study showed a significant and negative correlation between the HDL-C and the RDW among patients with acute coronary syndrome. The study recommends that the RDW be used as an additional marker in predicting the risk of ACS and diagnosing patients with ACS. Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, RDW, HDL-C, demographic factors.