Serum total bilirubin and long-term prognosis of patients with new-onset non-ST elevation myocardial infarction: a cohort study

Background The potential prognostic role of total bilirubin (TBIL) in patients with new-onset non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the potential predictive value of TBIL for long-term prognosis in patients with new-onset NSTEMI. Methods Patients with new-onset NSTEMI that underwent emergency coronary angiography in our department from June 2015 to March 2020 were included. Baseline TBIL was measured at admission. SYNTAX scores were used to indicate the severity of coronary lesions. The association between TBIL and SYNTAX scores was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. The patients were followed for the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). The association between TBIL and MACCEs was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival methods. Results In total 327 patients were included in this study. Patients were divided according to tertiles of TBIL (first tertile < 10.23 µmol/L, n = 109; second tertile 10.23–14.30 µmol/L, n = 109; and third tertile ≥ 14.30 µmol/L, n = 109). TBIL was independently associated with the severity of coronary lesions in patients with NSTEMI, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the third tertile and the second tertile compared with the first tertile of TBIL of 2.259 (1.197–4.263) and 2.167 (1.157–4.059), respectively (both p < 0.05). After a mean follow-up of 30.33 months, MACCE had occurred in 57 patients. TBIL was independently associated with the increased risk of MACCEs, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI for the third tertile and the second tertile compared with the first tertile of TBIL of 2.737 (1.161–6.450) and 3.272 (1.408–7.607), respectively (both p < 0.05). Conclusions Higher myocardial infarction admission TBIL might independently predict poor prognosis in patients with NSTEMI.