Associations of lactate dehydrogenase with risk of respiratory disease mortality among cancer survivors

Respiratory disease is a leading cause of death among cancer survivors. Using NHANES 2007-2012 data (15,854 participants, 1472 with cancer), we examined whether the lactate-dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio (LAR) predicts respiratory mortality. LAR was calculated as LDH (U/L) divided by serum albumin (g/L), and participants were categorized into quintiles. The study found that higher LAR levels were positively correlated with increased all-cause and respiratory disease mortality. Specifically, participants in the highest LAR quintile had a 43% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a significantly higher risk of respiratory disease mortality (hazard ratio = 4.87, 95% confidence interval: 1.25-18.9). These data indicate that LAR may serve as an easily available prognostic marker to flag cancer survivors at high risk of fatal respiratory events, informing targeted surveillance and early intervention.