A routine blood test may help identify elderly HF patients at risk of early death. A study published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine found that the MLR, a simple inflammatory marker derived from standard blood counts, strongly predicted short-term survival. Since HF is the terminal stage of cardiovascular disease and a leading cause of mortality in older adults, early identification of high-risk patients is critical.

Using the 2016–2019 Zigong Heart Failure Database in Sichuan, China, investigators analyzed 1,448 elderly HF patients. MLR was calculated by dividing monocyte count by lymphocyte count, with patients stratified into groups. Cox regression analysis showed those with elevated MLR had more than a threefold increase in 3-month mortality compared with those with lower values (HR 3.31; 95% CI 1.42–7.7). This association remained consistent across subgroups defined by age, sex, and comorbidity burden.

The findings suggest MLR could be a cost-effective, widely available marker to guide closer monitoring and early intervention in elderly HF patients at greatest risk.