Frontiers in Neurology · Sep 30, 2025

Association between the C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index and mortality in elderly patients with dysphagia requiring nutritional support

By Shen H, Jin T, Mei Q et al.

BACKGROUND: While the novel C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index-integrating inflammatory, nutritional, and immune markers-has proven valuable for prognosis in various diseases, its utility in predicting outcomes for dysphagia patients is still unclear. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis utilized data sourced from the Dryad Digital Repository. The CALLY index (albumin × lymphocyte count/C-reactive protein × 104) was calculated. After logarithmic transformation (Ln-CALLY), the patients were divided into low Ln-CALLY group (≤ 2.21) and high Ln-CALLY group (>2.21). All-cause mortality served as the primary endpoint. The association between Ln-CALLY and outcomes was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank testing and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. The dose-response relationship was evaluated by restricted cubic splines (RCS). RESULTS: This study enrolled 253 elderly dysphagia patients. Analysis revealed Ln-CALLY as a significant predictor of all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: The CALLY index shows promise as a predictor of mortality risk and long-term outcomes in older dysphagia patients.

doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1650795Open accessPubMed 41098380Biomarkers