Relationship Between Albumin-Corrected Anion Gap and Mortality in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. Despite the efforts to reduce mortality rates through medical progress, it is necessary to develop markers to identify critically ill patients. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) and mortality in hospitalized patients with HF. Methodology: We performed a retrospective study that included patients with HF hospitalized in the Erzurum City Hospital between 2015 and 2022. The basal clinical, hematological, and biochemical findings of the patients were obtained from the electronic medical records. ACAG was calculated. The date and causes of death of the patients were searched and recorded through the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health Death Notification System (ÖBYS) and Central Population Administration System (MERNIS). Thus, the relationship between ACAG and mortality in hospitalized patients with HF was evaluated. Results: A total of 205 patients hospitalized for HF were included in the study. The mean age of all people in this study was 71.8 ± 10.7 years. A total of 104 (50.7%) of the patients included in the study were women. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 47.2 ± 13.6%. The mean follow-up period of the entire population was 76.5 ± 18.9 months. The mortality rate was 11.7% (24 patients). Serum anion gap (SAG) and ACAG were significantly higher in the group with death outcomes (p = 0.043 and p = 0.012, respectively). Cox regression analysis showed that ACAG was an independent predictor of HF mortality (p = 0.003). ACAG area under the curve was 0.773 (95% CI 0.634 - 0.914), the cut-off was 13, sensitivity was 75%, and specificity was 75.9% (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Statistical analysis showed a meaningful connection between an increase in ACAG and mortality in hospitalized patients with HF. Consequently, ACAG can be used as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with HF.