BackgroundRemnant cholesterol (RC) and low-grade inflammation are established contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in diabetes. However, their combined prognostic impact remains unclear in dysglycemia. We evaluated the remnant cholesterol inflammation index (RCII), integrating RC and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), for predicting mortality and CVD risks in diabetes/prediabetes. MethodsThis study included 2206 United States adults with diabetes/prediabetes from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018. RCII was calculated as RC (mg/dL)×hsCRP (mg/L)/10. All-cause mortality was tracked via National Death Index until 2019; CVD risk was assessed cross-sectionally. Cox proportional hazard regression determined the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of RCII for all-cause mortality. Logistic regression models estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs of RCII for CVD risks. ResultsFor CVD risks, Q4 vs. Q1 demonstrated increased odds (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.23 to 4.37), though per-standard deviation (SD) increments were non-significant (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.35; P=0.083). During a median of 38 months follow-up, higher RCII quartiles showed graded associations with all-cause mortality (Q4 vs. Q1: HR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.08 to 5.58; per 1-SD increase: HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.35). Restricted cubic splines confirmed dose-dependent relationships for CVD risks and all-cause mortality (all P=0.005 for overall). Subgroup analyses revealed consistent mortality associations but sex-specific CVD interactions (P=0.047 for interaction). ConclusionOur study found the RCII as a biomarker for predicting all-cause mortality and CVD risks in individuals with prediabetes or diabetes, highlighting the synergistic effects of RC and low-grade inflammation on adverse outcomes in this population and may facilitate early identification of individuals at heightened risk for CVD.
Ma et al. (2025) studied this question.