Muto R, Kato S, Lindholm B, et al. - Given the correlation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and infectious disease with poor clinical outcomes among dialysis patients, researchers sought to determine if in these patients, a higher monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) is linked with an elevated risk of CVD events and infectious disease hospitalizations.

• An ongoing observational prospective cohort study involving 132 Japanese dialysis patients (age 58.7 ± 11.7 years; 70% men) initiating dialysis therapy.

• When divided into 2 groups according to median MLR, there were significantly shorter periods without CVD events in the high MLR group than in the low MLR group.

• Dialysis patients with a higher MLR were noted to be at increased risks of both CVD events and infectious disease hospitalization.