Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients With Heart Failure: Findings From The EMPEROR Program
Primary result · Time to first heart failure hospitalisation or cardiovascular deathResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 1.44 CI 1.16–1.80Authors' conclusion
In patients with CHF, a higher NLR was associated with greater congestion and poorer prognosis. The efficacy of empagliflozin was consistent, regardless of baseline NLR.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) randomised to empagliflozin or placebo in the EMPEROR-Reduced and EMPEROR-Preserved trials, with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) available at baselinepatients with CHF randomised to empagliflozin or placebo with NLR available at baseline (EMPEROR-Pooled)
- Participants
- 9,706 patients
- Comparison
- highest NLR quintile vs lowest NLR quintile
- Primary endpoint
- Time to first heart failure hospitalisation or cardiovascular death
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Time to first heart failure hospitalisation or cardiovascular death
Adjusted hazard ratio
1.44
CI 1.16–1.80
P = 0.001
By group
Highest NLR quintile vs lowest NLR quintile
adjusted hazard ratio 1.44 (CI 1.16–1.80); P = 0.001
Secondary outcomes
Baseline characteristics, highest vs lowest NLR quintile
- Highest quintile older, more likely to be men, more symptomatic, higher plasma NT-proBNP and more likely to be treated with loop diuretics
Effect of empagliflozin on primary and secondary endpoints by baseline NLR
- Baseline NLR did not modify the effect of empagliflozin on either primary and secondary endpoints
NLR during follow-up
- NLR increased during follow-up but this was not affected by empagliflozin
Original publication
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients With Heart Failure: Findings From The EMPEROR Program. ESC Heart Fail. Published 18 September 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it