Table 3.

Results of mediation analysis: direct, indirect and total effects of NLR on CVEs mediated by diabetes mellitus, creatinine, and hypertension via pathway B.

Path	Effect	SE	z	P-value	Bootstrapping	Odds Ratio	95% CI	Proportion mediated (%)
					Bias Corrected 95% CI
Direct effect	0.2246	0.1298	4.20	<0.001	0.1235, 0.3306	1.2518	1.1315, 1.3918	43.71
Indirect effects
Overall	0.2892	0.1344	2.21	0.027	0.0759, 0.5896	1.3318	1.0327, 1.7175	56.29
Through DM	0.1052	0.0407	2.58	0.010	0.0434, 0.2159	1.1109	1.0211, 1.2008	20.47
Through Cr	0.0264	0.0065	4.06	<0.0001	0.0146, 0.0399	1.0267	1.0147, 1.0408	5.15
Through HT1	0.0457	0.0005	0.61	0.541	−0.1050, 0.1875	1.0468	0.8921, 1.2015	8.90
Through HT2	0.1119	0.0020	2.56	0.010	0.0458, 0.2145	1.1184	1.0236, 1.2131	21.77
One mediator model
NLR→ DM→ CVEs	0.0564	0.0250	2.25	0.024	0.0203, 0.1209	1.0580	1.0205, 1.1285	10.98
NLR→ Cr → CVEs	0.0131	0.0040	3.25	0.001	0.0052, 0.0212	1.0131	1.0052, 1.0214	2.55
NLR→ HT1→CVEs	0.0321	0.0615	0.52	0.602	−0.0919, 0.1513	1.0326	0.9122, 1.1633	6.25
NLR→ HT2→CVEs	0.0714	0.0314	2.23	0.026	0.0243, 0.1502	1.0739	1.0246, 1.1621	13.89
Two mediators model
NLR→DM→Cr →CVEs	0.0026	0.0013	2.07	0.039	0.0009, 0.0062	1.0026	1.0009, 1.0062	0.51
NLR→DM→HT1→CVEs	0.0074	0.0146	0.51	0.612	−0.0183, 0.0401	1.0075	0.9819, 1.0409	1.44
NLR→DM→HT2→CVEs	0.0360	0.0166	2.17	0.030	0.0135, 0.0818	1.0367	1.0136, 1.0853	7.01
NLR→HT1→Cr →CVEs	0.0051	0.0018	2.80	0.005	0.0019, 0.0089	1.0051	1.0019, 1.0089	0.99
NLR →HT2→Cr →CVEs	0.0029	0.0012	2.43	0.015	0.0011, 0.0056	1.0029	1.0011, 1.0056	0.56
Three mediators model
NLR→DM→HT1→Cr →CVEs	0.0012	0.0006	2.08	0.038	0.0004, 0.0027	1.0012	1.0004, 1.0027	0.23
NLR→DM→HT2→Cr →CVEs	0.0015	0.0007	2.22	0.027	0.0006, 0.0032	1.0015	1.0006, 1.0032	0.29
Total effect	0.5138	0.1343	3.81	<0.001	0.2669, 0.7872	1.6671	1.2813, 2.1692	100

CI, confidence interval; NLR, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; CVEs, cardiovascular events; DM, diabetes mellitus; Cr, creatinine; HT1, well-controlled hypertension; HT2, poorly-controlled hypertension.