Prognostic Value of HALP Score in Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis: A Long‐Term Follow‐up Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) score in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS). METHODS: A total of 169 patients with RMS were retrospectively analyzed over a median follow-up period of 124 months (IQR: 96-148). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The predictive performance of the HALP score was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, Cox regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: The HALP score demonstrated a modest but statistically significant ability to predict MACCE (AUC = 0.644, p = 0.037). The optimal cut-off value was 35.65, with a sensitivity of 60.4% and specificity of 38.1%. Patients with lower HALP scores had a significantly higher incidence of MACCE (log-rank p = 0.015). However, in multivariable analysis, the HALP score was not identified as an independent predictor (p = 0.076). CONCLUSION: The HALP score may serve as a simple and cost-effective complementary tool for risk stratification in patients with RMS. However, its prognostic value appears limited when used alone, and it should be interpreted alongside established clinical and echocardiographic parameters.