Baseline characteristics. In 546 patients, the incidence of MACE within 1 year was 31.9%. The comparison of the proportions of males, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and platelet count between the 2 groups showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The MACE group had significantly higher proportions of age, smoking, heart rate, hyperlipidemia, leukocyte count, neutrophils, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, creatinine, uric acid, and myoglobin than the non-MACE group, Creatine kinase isoenzyme, troponin, LDL, B-type natriuretic peptide, CONUT score, and GRACE score were significantly higher than those in the non-MACE group, and systolic blood pressure, lymphocytes, hemoglobin, albumin, body mass index, LVEF, PNI and GNRI were significantly lower than those in the non-MACE group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05, Table 1).
Table 1
Comparison of general clinical data between MACE and non-MACE groups
Characteristic | Non-MACE(n = 372) | MACE(n = 174) | P value |
Age [years old, M (Q1, Q3)] | 65.00(62.00,70.00) | 69.00(65.00,77.00) | 0.001 |
Gender (male, %) | 290(78.0) | 136(78.2) | 0.957 |
Smoking, n (%) | 119(32.0) | 93(53.4) | 0.001 |
Heart rate[n/min,M(Q1,Q3)] | 72.00(67.00,80.00) | 77.00(68.00,90.00) | 0.001 |
Past history n(%) | | | |
Hyperlipidemia | 138(37.1) | 84(48.3) | 0.013 |
High blood pressure | 253(68.0) | 122(70.1) | 0.621 |
Peripheral Vascular Disease | 26(7.0) | 8(4.6) | 0.281 |
Cerebral vascular disease | 61(16.4) | 34(19.5) | 0.367 |
Diabetes | 140(37.6) | 79(45.4) | 0.084 |
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg,𝑥̅±𝑠) | 133.00(121.00, 143.00) | 122.50(113.50, 137.00) | 0.001 |
White blood cell count [×109/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 6.70(5.60,8.23) | 7.50(6.16,10.80) | 0.001 |
Neutral particle count [×109/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 4.21(3.30,5.29) | 6.30(4.79,8.99) | 0.001 |
Lymphocyte [×109/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 1.63(1.28,2.02) | 1.25(0.97,1.71) | 0.001 |
Hemoglobin [g/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 142.00(134.00,152.00) | 136.00(116.50, 147.50) | 0.001 |
Platelet count [×109/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 210.00(176.00, 241.00) | 220.50(178.00, 245.00) | 0.223 |
Hs-CRP[mg/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 1.20(0.50, 5.10) | 3.74(0.67, 30.59) | 0.001 |
Creatinine [µmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 74.00(65.00, 84.00) | 88.00(72.50, 108.50) | 0.001 |
Uric acid [µmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 341.00(286.50, 389.50) | 357.50(294.00, 426.00) | 0.022 |
Albumen[g/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 44.20(42.80, 46.00) | 40.20(38.60, 41.80) | 0.001 |
Myoglobin[µg/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 56.00(36.00, 74.50) | 82.50(54.50, 263.45) | 0.001 |
Creatine kinase isoenzyme [µg/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 2.00(2.00, 3.35) | 4.35(2.00, 40.70) | 0.003 |
Troponin[µg/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 0.01(0.01, 0.91) | 0.13(0.01, 5.25) | 0.001 |
TC [mmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 3.99(3.34, 5.24) | 3.80(3.17, 4.25) | 0.001 |
TG [mmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 1.39(1.06,2.03) | 1.31(1.02,1.72) | 0.047 |
HDL [mmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 1.03(0.91,1.20) | 1.00(0.85,1.15) | 0.042 |
LDL [mmol/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 2.04(1.57,2.62) | 2.49(2.02,2.90) | 0.001 |
NT-proBNP [ng/L,M(Q1,Q3)] | 35.90(17.75,88.90) | 153.45(56.60,378.80) | 0.001 |
BMI (kg/m2,𝑥̅±𝑠) | 25.71(24.03, 27.73) | 25.05(22.49, 27.41) | 0.004 |
Ejection fraction [%,M(Q1,Q3)] | 61.00(58.00,64.00) | 56.00(51.50,59.00) | 0.001 |
PNI [M(Q1,Q3)] | 52.70(49.75, 55.80) | 46.35(43.45, 49.72) | 0.001 |
GNRI [M(Q1,Q3)] | 115.60(110.53,119.68) | 107.49(101.10,112.56) | 0.001 |
CONUT [M(Q1,Q3)] | 3.00(3.00,4.00) | 4.00(3.00,5.00) | 0.001 |
GRACE score[M(Q1,Q3)] | 94.00(83.00,106.00) | 113.50(99.50,126.00) | 0.001 |
ROC curves for MACE
In this study, ROC curves were analyzed for PNI, GNRI, CONUT, and BMI for the prediction model of MACE within 1 year in elderly ACS patients who underwent PCI (Fig. 1 and Table 2).In terms of AUC, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher for PNI (AUC: 0.798, 95%CI: 0.755–0.840 P < 0.001) and GNRI (AUC: 0.760, 95%CI:0.715–0.804 P < 0.001) than for CONUT (AUC:0.719, 95%CI:0.673–0.765 P < 0.001) and BMI (AUC:0.576, 95%CI:0.522–0.630 P < 0.001). The established Jordon's index was used to determine the cut-off values for PNI, GNRI, CONUT, and BMI, respectively; and to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), respectively (Table 2). PPV of PNI: 67.67% was better than GNRI, CONUT, and BMI, and NPV: 83.90% was better than CONUT and BMI and similar to NPV of GNRI. (Table 2).
Table 2
Comparison of AUCs, PPV, and NPV of nutritional assessment tools. PPV Positive Predictive Value,
Models | AUC | 95%CI | P value for AUCs | cut-off value | sensitivity | specificity | PPV | NPV | P value |
PNI | 0.798 | 0.755–0.840 | <0.001 | 47.98 | 0.649 | 0.855 | 67.67% | 83.90% | <0.001 |
GNRI | 0.760 | 0.715–0.804 | <0.001 | 112.33 | 0.736 | 0.683 | 52.03% | 84.67% | <0.001 |
CONUT | 0.719 | 0.673–0.765 | <0.001 | 3.50 | 0.713 | 0.608 | 45.93% | 81.88% | <0.001 |
BMI | 0.576 | 0.522–0.630 | 0.004 | 23.00 | 0.316 | 0.866 | 48.14% | 70.97% | 0.001 |
NPV Negative Predictive Value, AUC Area Under the Curve. CI Confidence Intervals
In addition, to assess the incremental value of the Nutrition Assessment Tool (NAT) in predicting the occurrence of MACE within 1 year, we analyzed the four indicators using the Integrated Discriminant Improvement Index (IDI) and the Net Reclassification Index (NRI). The PNI, GNRI, and CONUT were used to compare with BMI, respectively. The most significant improvement in IDI was found for PNI (IDI: 0.1732, p < 0.001); the most significant improvement in NRI was also found for PNI (NRI: 0.8185, p < 0.001) (Table 3).
Table 3
Comparison of IDI and NRI for PNI, GNRI, CONUT and BMI. IDI, Integrated Discrimination Improvement; NRI, Net Reclassification Improvement.
Models | IDI | NRI |
Absolute IDI | 95% CI | P value | Total NRI | 95% CI | P value |
PNI | 0.1732 | 0.1402–0.2062 | <0.001 | 0.8185 | 0.6342–1.0146 | <0.001 |
GNRI | 0.126 | 0.0982–0.1537 | <0.001 | 0.7879 | 0.4716–0.9745 | <0.001 |
CONUT | 0.1041 | 0.0756–0.1327 | <0.001 | 0.5471 | 0.3420–0.7215 | <0.001 |
BMI | | | | | | |
Single-factor logistic regression analysis
With the occurrence of MACE in elderly ACS patients 1 year after PCI as the dependent variable, and four nutritional assessment tools, including PNI, GNRI, CONUT, and BMI, as the independent variables, one-way logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the ratio of ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). When the regression coefficient in the regression analysis was positive and the OR was greater than 1, the adjudicated factor was a risk factor affecting the outcome; conversely, it was a protective factor. The results showed that PNI, GNRI, and BMI were protective factors CONUT was a risk factor; and all four nutritional assessment tools were independent influences (Table 4).
Table 4
Single-factor logistic regression analysis. SE Standard Error, OR Odds Ratios
Models | ß | SE | OR | 95%CI | P value |
PNI | -0.219 | 0.023 | 0.804 | 0.768–0.841 | <0.001 |
GNRI | -0.127 | 0.014 | 0.881 | 0.857–0.906 | <0.001 |
CONUT | 0.763 | 0.094 | 2.145 | 1.785–2.579 | <0.001 |
BMI | -0.094 | 0.030 | 0.910 | 0.858–0.965 | 0.002 |
Predictive modeling and evaluation
Four nutritional assessment tools, including PNI, GNRI, CONUT, and BMI, were each used to construct a column-line diagram of clinical prediction models for the occurrence of MACE in elderly ACS patients 1 year after PCI (Fig 2); A more intuitive understanding of MACE incidence can be obtained based on the total score in the graph. According to the calibration curves, the three prediction models constructed by PNI, GNRI, and CONUT showed good calibration ability (Fig 3); Decision-analysis curves (DCA) suggested that PNI and GNRI at threshold probabilities greater than 15% and CONUT at threshold probabilities greater than 20% were more favourable for predicting the risk of MACE 1 year after PCI in elderly ACS patients using this prediction model than implementing an intervention programme for all patients, with the net benefit of the prediction model being significantly higher than that of all or no intervention. Predictive models constructed from BMI, on the other hand, have poor clinical validity (Fig 4). Clinical impact curves (CICs) were further plotted based on DCA to assess the clinical impact of each model, showing the estimated number of people predicted to have MACE and the actual number of people with the disease at each risk threshold; the PNI and GNRI constructed models had a lower rate of misdiagnosis than the CONUT and BMI constructed models (Fig 5).