Background and aims: The C‐reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) is a novel parameter that has been reported as a significant prognostic marker in some diseases. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the predictive value of this ratio with regard to nutritional status in geriatric patients.Methods and results: A total of 154 geriatric patients (age ≥65 years) who consecutively presented to the internal medicine outpatient clinic were included in this cross‐sectional study. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used as a reference to determine the nutritional status of the patients. Based on the MNA results, the patients were divided into two groups: normal nutrition and malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The median CAR of malnourished patients or those at risk of malnutrition was significantly higher than that of patients with normal nutritional status (p = .012). A significant negative correlation was also observed between the MNA score and the CAR (r = −0.196, p = .015). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the CAR was a significant predictor of malnourishment or the risk of malnutrition (p = .012).Conclusion: The CAR could predict which geriatric patients were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. CAR may be used as a new tool in the nutritional screening of geriatric patients.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency and characteristics of peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) involvement in COPD. Methods: The study included 41 COPD patients and 41 healthy volunteers. Electrophysiological studies were carried out: electromyography (EMG) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). The median nerve, ulnar nerve, common peroneal nerve, and tibial nerve were evaluated for latency, amplitude, and conduction velocity. Results: The mean age of patients with COPD was 61.8 years and disease duration 10.3 years. There was no difference between patient and control groups in terms of age, BMI, smoking status, or biochemical parameters. Upon VEP examination, latencies were significantly prolonged and amplitudes shortened in the patient group compared to the control group. In EMG measurements, conduction velocity and amplitudes in all nerves were low in the patient group. Similarly, latencies in all nerves were higher in patients with COPD. Conclusion: Central and peripheral nervous system involvement could develop in patients with moderate–severe COPD, and these patients should be monitored for neuropathic changes in combination with neurological examination.

Background: Stroke remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with dyslipidemia playing a crucial role in atherosclerosis and stroke development. The Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP), calculated as log(triglyceride/HDL), has emerged as a biomarker for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. However, its relationship with stroke prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between AIP and favorable clinical outcomes at three months in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 222 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between December 2019 and April 2023. The association between AIP and demographic variables, etiology, successful recanalization, intracerebral hemorrhage, and three-month mRS was evaluated. AIP values were compared between patients with good (mRS 0–2) and poor (mRS 3–6) clinical outcomes. Results: The most common comorbidity was hypertension (72.1%), followed by AF (50%). Stroke etiologies included large artery atherosclerosis (16.2%), cardioembolism (57.2%), and undetermined causes (26.6%). AIP values were significantly lower in patients with good functional outcomes. Additionally, AIP values were inversely associated with AF but positively correlated with DM and previous stroke history. No significant relationship was observed between the AIP and successful recanalization or intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate that elevated AIP is associated with poor functional outcomes after three months in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Given its strong correlation with prognosis, the AIP may serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying high-risk patients. Future prospective studies are needed to further validate these findings and explore the potential role of the AIP in stroke management.

Background: The study aims to investigate whether the De Ritis ratio can also be used in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 as a follow-up parameter, such as NLR, which is used in the follow-up and treatment of many diseases. Methods: Ninety-nine patients admitted to our hospital with suspected COVID-19 were included in the study. Demographic data of the patients, their history characteristics, presenting symptoms, filiation status, duration of clinical stay, and length of stay in intensive care unit, intubation, dialysis, and plasmapheresis needs were examined. The patients were divided into two groups: PCR positive and PCR negative. The presenting, 5th day, and the clinical discharge values of AST, ALT, LDH, urea, creatine, eGFR, De Ritis ratio, procalcitonin, CRP, WBC, NLR, ferritin, lymphocyte, and D-dimer levels of the patients in both groups were studied. Results: The DM and CAD presence in the histories of PCR-positive patients was found to be statistically significantly higher (p = 0.05, p = 0.03, respectively). Presenting symptoms of headache, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and taste loss were significantly higher in the PCR-positive patients (p = 0.04, p = 0.02, p = 0.03, p = 0.02, respectively). In the PCR-positive patients, a statistically significant correlation was found between the presenting De Ritis ratios and the presenting NLR, 5th day NLR, and NLR at discharge (p = 0.007, p = 0.02, p = 0.015, respectively). In the PCR-positive group, the 1st and 5th day De Ritis ratios of females were statistically significantly higher than males (p = 0.000, p = 0.006, respectively). Albumin, procalcitonin, length of stay in intensive care unit were significantly higher in the PCR-positive patients, while the presenting D-dimer, presenting WBC, and presenting and 5th day lymphocyte values were significantly higher in the PCR-negative patients. Conclusions: These findings show that the De Ritis ratios can be used in PCR-positive patients as a parameter, such as NLR, to follow-up and determine the prognosis of many diseases.

Uric acid is a molecule that is known to act as a natural antioxidant in acute oxidative stress conditions such as acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Although there are several studies on the prognostic value of serum uric acid (UA) level, especially the AIS, its importance in ischemic stroke is still controversial. Our aim in this study is to investigate whether the serum UA level is an indicative biomarker in the large-artery atherosclerosis in the AIS etiology. Of the patients admitted to Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital Department of Neurology between January 2017 and November 2017, 91 hospitalized patients, who had AIS diagnosis and had their uric acid levels measured, were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), smoking habit, obesity, gout, hyperlipidemia (HL) and renal failure were excluded from the study. Patients were classified as anterior system and posterior system infarct. Then, patients were divided into two groups, one with internal carotid artery (ICA) > 50% stenosis and the other with ICA < 50% stenosis according to carotid-vertebral artery doppler USG examination performed for etiology. Serum UA, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin levels of both groups were statistically compared. In the comparison of serum UA values of ICA>50% stenosis and ICA<50% stenosis group of AIS patients, a statistically significant difference was found between the UA levels (p0.05). High uric acid levels can be considered an independent, indicative risk factor for large-artery disease in AIS.