Association between the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and mortality in older Japanese patients with dysphagia

Background: C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CRP/ALB) has been proven to represent a biomarker for predicting prognosis in many groups of patients with severe diseases. However, few studies have investigated the association between CRP/ALB and mortality in Japan older people with dysphagia patients. Objective: This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in older Japanese patients with dysphagia. Methods: We analyzed data from 253 patients diagnosed with dysphagia at a single center between January 2014 and January 2017. Cox regression analysis was used to compare the mortality rates across the CAR tertiles. Subgroup analyses were conducted, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine the median survival times. Results: The study included 154 female and 99 male patients, with a median age of 83 years. After adjusting for all covariates, the multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed a significant association between increasing CAR (HR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.37, P = 0.022) and the risk of mortality. Compared to the reference group T1 (< 0.149), the adjusted hazard ratios for T2 (0.149-0.815) and T3 (> 0.815) were 1.75 (95% CI: 1.07-2.87, P = 0.027) and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.34-3.46, P = 0.002), respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated median survival times of 864, 371, and 223 days for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Conclusion: The C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was positively related to mortality in Japan older people with dysphagia patients. There was no interaction for the subgroup analysis. The result was stable.