Background: Recent evidence suggested levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio (De-Ritis ratio) were associated with a worse outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, their value for predicting long-term prognosis remained unknown. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic potential of transaminases on patient outcome after AMI from a long-term perspective.
Methods: Data of a large AMI registry including 1355 consecutive patients were analyzed. The Cox regression hazard analysis was used to assess the impact of transaminases and the De-Ritis ratio on long-term mortality.
Results: The median De-Ritis ratio for the entire study population was 1.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0⁻2.6). After a median follow-up time of 8.6 years, we found that AST (crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.19 per 1-SD [95% confidence interval (CI): 1 .09⁻1.32; p < 0.001]) and De-Ritis ratio (crude HR of 1.31 per 1-SD [95% CI: 1.18⁻1.44; p < 0.001]), but not ALT (p = 0.827), were significantly associated with long-term mortality after AMI. After adjustment for confounders independently, the De-Ritis ratio remained a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality in the multivariate model with an adjusted HR of 1.23 per 1-SD (95% CI: 1.07⁻1.42; p = 0.004). Moreover, the De-Ritis ratio added prognostic value beyond N-terminal pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, Troponin T, and Creatine Kinase.
Conclusion: The De-Ritis ratio is a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality after AMI. As a readily available biomarker in clinical routine, it might be used to identify patients at risk for fatal cardiovascular events and help to optimize secondary prevention strategies after AMI.
Keywords: ALT; AST; De-Ritis ratio; acute coronary syndrome; long-term prognosis.