Objective:

To evaluate the association between the lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) and mortality in geriatric patients with severe dysphagia requiring artificial nutrition.

Key Findings:

• Higher log2(LCR) levels were associated with lower mortality (adjusted HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83–0.97).
• Patients in the highest log2(LCR) tertile had a 55% lower risk of death compared to those in the lowest tertile (adjusted HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.27–0.76; P = 0.003).
• Median survival times increased across tertiles (214, 359 days, and not reached; P < 0.0001).
• Landmark analyses at 360 days showed a pronounced survival benefit for the highest tertile (HR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.077–0.286).
• ROC analyses and Boruta feature selection confirmed the prognostic advantage of LCR.

Interpretation:

LCR shows an inverse association with mortality in geriatric patients with severe dysphagia requiring artificial nutrition, indicating its potential as a prognostic indicator.

Limitations:

• The study is based on a single-center dataset, which may limit generalizability.
• The predictive value of LCR may weaken over extended follow-up.

Conclusion:

LCR remains a robust indicator for 1-year mortality in this population, suggesting that early assessment could help identify high-risk patients.