NT-proBNP provides incremental prognostic information in cardiac outpatients with and without echocardiographic findings

Mixed‐methods evaluation of a multifaceted heart failure intervention in general practice: the OSCAR‐HF pilot study

AIMS

Heart failure (HF) is an important health problem for which multidisciplinary care is recommended, yet few studies involve primary care practitioners in the multidisciplinary management of HF. We set up a multifaceted prospective observational trial, OSCAR-HF, piloting audit and feedback, natriuretic peptide testing at the point of care, and the assistance of a specialist HF nurse in primary care. The aim was to optimize HF care in general practice.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This is an analysis at 6 month follow-up of the study interventions of the OSCAR-HF pilot study, a nonrandomized, noncontrolled prospective observational trial conducted in eight Belgian general practices [51 general practitioners (GPs)]. Patients who were assessed by their GP to have HF constituted the OSCAR-HF study population. We used descriptive statistics and mixed-effects modelling for the quantitative analysis and thematic analysis of the focus group interviews. There was a 10.2% increase in the registered HF population after 6 months of follow-up (n = 593) compared with baseline (n = 538) and a 27% increase in objectified HF diagnoses (baseline n = 359 to 456 at T6 M). Natriuretic peptide testing (with or without referral) accounted for 54% (n = 60/111) of the newly registered HF diagnoses. There was no difference in the proportion of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction who received their target dosage of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors or beta-blockers at 6 months compared with baseline (P = 0.9). Patients who received an HF nurse intervention (n = 53) had significantly worse quality of life at baseline [difference in Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score 9.2 points; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0, 14] and had a significantly greater improvement in quality-of-life scores at the 6 month follow-up [change in MLHFQ score -9.8 points; 95% CI -15, -4.5] than patients without an HF nurse intervention. GPs found audit and feedback valuable but time intensive. Natriuretic peptides were useful, but the point-of-care test was impractical, and the assistance of an HF nurse was a useful addition to routine HF care.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of audit and feedback combined with natriuretic peptide testing was a successful strategy to increase the number of registered and objectified HF diagnoses at 6 months. GPs and HF nurses selected patients with worse quality-of-life scores at baseline for the HF nurse intervention, which led to a significantly greater improvement in quality-of-life scores at the 6 month follow-up compared with patients without an HF nurse intervention. The interventions were deemed feasible and useful by the participating GPs with some specific remarks that can be used for optimization.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02905786), registered on 14 September 2016 at https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

NT-proBNP Qualifies as a Surrogate for Clinical End Points in Heart Failure

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a well-established biomarker in heart failure (HF) but controversially discussed as a potential surrogate marker in HF trials. We analyzed the NT-proBNP/mortality relationship in real-world data (RWD) of 108,330 HF patients from the IBM Watson Health Explorys database and compared it with the NT-proBNP / clinical event end-point relationship in 20 clinical HF studies. With a hierarchical statistical model, we quantified the functional relationship and interstudy variability. To independently qualify the model, we predicted outcome hazard ratios in five phase III HF studies solely based on NT-proBNP measured early in the respective study. In RWD and clinical studies, the relationship between NT-proBNP and clinical outcome is well described by an Emax model. The NT-proBNP independent baseline risk (R0 , RWD/studies median (interstudy interquartile range): 5.5%/3.0% (1.7-4.9%)) is very low compared with the potential NT-proBNP-associated maximum risk (Rmax : 55.2%/79.4% (61.5-89.0%)). The NT-proBNP concentration associated with the half-maximal risk is comparable in RWD and across clinical studies (EC50 : 3,880/2,414 pg/mL (1,460-4,355 pg/mL)). Model-based predictions of phase III outcomes, relying on short-term NT-proBNP data only, match final trial results with comparable confidence intervals. Our analysis qualifies NT-proBNP as a surrogate for clinical outcome in HF trials. NT-proBNP levels after short treatment durations of less than 10 weeks quantitatively predict hazard ratios with confidence levels comparable to final trial readout. Early NT-proBNP measurement can therefore enable shorter and smaller but still reliable HF trials.

The association of baseline N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide with short and long-term prognosis following percutaneous coronary intervention in non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome with multivessel coronary artery disease: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Several studies have shown that N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is strongly correlated with the complexity of coronary artery disease and the prognosis of patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), However, it remains unclear about the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in patients with NSTE-ACS and multivessel coronary artery disease (MCAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the relationship between NT-proBNP levels and the prognosis for NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD undergoing successful PCI.

METHODS

This study enrolled 1022 consecutive NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD from January 2010 to December 2014. The information of NT-proBNP levels was available from these patients. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause death. In addition, the 3-year follow-up all-cause death was also ascertained.

RESULTS

A total of 12 (1.2%) deaths were reported during hospitalization. The 4th quartile group of NT-proBNP (> 1287 pg/ml) showed the highest in-hospital all-cause death rate (4.3%) (P < 0.001). Besides, logistic analyses revealed that the increasing NT-proBNP level was robustly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital all-cause death (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-7.03, P = 0.022). NT-proBNP was able to predict the in-hospital all-cause death (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.888, 95% CI = 0.834-0.941, P < 0.001; cutoff: 1568 pg/ml). Moreover, as revealed by cumulative event analyses, a higher NT-proBNP level was significantly related to a higher long-term all-cause death rate compared with a lower NT-proBNP level (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing NT-proBNP level is significantly associated with the increased risks of in-hospital and long-term all-cause deaths among NSTE-ACS patients with MCAD undergoing PCI. Typically, NT-proBN P > 1568 pg/ml is related to the all-cause and in-hospital deaths.

Impact of an extended audit on identifying heart failure patients in general practice: baseline results of the OSCAR-HF pilot study

Aims

Identifying heart failure (HF) patients in general practice is challenging, and little is known about the current quality of care. We implemented an extended audit from the electronic health records (EHRs) of general practitioners (GPs) to identify HF patients and investigate patient characteristics and quality of care.

Methods and results

This study describes the baseline results of the OSCAR‐HF pilot study in eight general practices (51 GPs) in Flanders, Belgium. This prospective trial ran for 6 months. Interventions included an extended audit, an N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide point‐of‐care test, and assistance of a specialist HF nurse. The extended audit searched on risk factors for HF, HF symptoms, signs, and medication in the GPs' EHR to generate a list of possible HF patients. GPs determined which patients had HF. Those HF patients constituted the OSCAR‐HF study population. Each patient file was manually revised to extract biomarker measurements, echocardiography data, and quality indicators. An independent panel of experts assessed the validity of GPs' HF diagnoses. Feedback about the validity of the HF diagnosis was given to the GP. Out of 18 011 patients ≥ 40 years, we identified 310 patients with a registered HF diagnosis before the study start (HF prevalence: 1.7%). The extended audit led to a 74% increase in identified HF patients (n = 538, HF prevalence: 3.0%) with a mean age of 79 ± 11 years. The prevalence of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was 20% (n = 110). A high proportion of patients underwent echocardiography in the past 5 years (86%, n = 462). Natriuretic peptides were rarely available in patients' files (19%, n = 100). Medical specialists should improve communication about the HF diagnosis because a specialist diagnosis was present in only 225 patients (42%) while 67% (n = 359) of the HF diagnoses were judged objectified by a panel of experts. Assigning a diagnosis of HF was particularly difficult in HF patients with preserved EF (HFpEF). HFrEF treatment rates with renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system blockers (84%, n = 92) and beta‐blockers (86%, n = 94) were very good; however, target doses were hardly reached (34% and 14%, respectively).

Conclusions

This study highlighted the need to improve case finding for HF in general practice and showed that an extended audit in the GPs' EHR was a successful strategy to do so. To improve the quality of HF care in general practice, specific strategies are needed to diagnose HFpEF and to reach target doses of disease‐modifying drugs in HFrEF patients.

Think-aloud study about the diagnosis of chronic heart failure in Belgian general practice

OBJECTIVES

Diagnosing chronic heart failure (CHF) in general practice is challenging. Our aim was to investigate how general practitioners (GPs) diagnose CHF in real-world patients.

DESIGN

Think-aloud study.

METHODS

Fourteen GPs were asked to reason about four real-world CHF cases from their own practices. The cases were selected through a clinical audit. This was followed by an interview to get a deeper insight in their reasoning. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven was used as a guide in data analysis.

RESULTS

We developed a conceptual diagnostic model based on three important reasoning steps. First, GPs assessed the likelihood of CHF based on the presence or absence of HF signs and symptoms. However, this approach had serious limitations since GPs experienced many barriers in their clinical assessment, especially in comorbid elderly. Second, if CHF was considered based on step 1, the main influencing factor to take further diagnostic steps was the GPs' perception of the added value of a validated CHF diagnosis in that specific case. Third, the choice and implications of these further diagnostic steps (N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, ECG and/or cardiac ultrasound) were influenced by the GPs' knowledge about these tests and the quality of the cardiologists' reports.

CONCLUSION

This think-aloud study identified the factors that influenced the diagnostic reasoning about CHF in general practice. As a consequence, targets to improve this diagnostic reasoning were withheld: a paradigm shift towards an earlier and more comprehensive risk assessment with, among others, access to natriuretic peptide testing and convincing GPs of the added value of a validated HF diagnosis.

NT-proBNP is associated with mortality and adverse cardiac events in patients with atrial fibrillation presenting to the emergency department

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the emergency department. The CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc score helps to predict thromboembolic risk; however, the rate of other adverse cardiac events is more difficult to predict.

HYPOTHESIS

The biomarker N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has prognostic value in patients presenting to the emergency department with AF.

METHODS

During a 1.5-year period, a prospective study was performed in consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with AF on the presenting electrocardiogram. At baseline, NT-proBNP was measured. The primary endpoints were all-cause death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE: all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or revascularization).

RESULTS

A total of 355 patients were included (mean age, 71 years; 55% male). The median duration of follow-up was 2 years. After adjustment for baseline variables, the logNT-proBNP was independently correlated with death (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-1.99) and MACE (HR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03-1.58). After adjustment for baseline variables, a high NT-proBNP value (>500 pmol/L) was independently correlated with death (HR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.19-4.28), and for MACE a trend was seen (HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 0.96-2.91) compared with a low value (<250 pmol/L).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients presenting to the emergency department with AF, higher NT-proBNP values are independently associated with an increased mortality and MACE. Therefore, this biomarker may be a useful prognostic marker in the management and treatment of these patients.

Usefulness of N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide to Predict Mortality in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

Natriuretic peptides are often elevated in congenital heart disease (CHD); however, the clinical impact on mortality is unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the prediction of all-cause mortality in adults with different CHD. In this prospective longitudinal mortality study, we evaluated NT-proBNP in 1,242 blood samples from 646 outpatient adults with stable CHD (mean age 35 ± 12 years; 345 women). Patients were followed up for 6 ± 3 (1 to 10) years. The mortality rate was 5% (35 patients, mean age 40 ± 14 years, 17 women). Median NT-proBNP (pg/ml) was 220 in the whole cohort, 203 in survivors, and 1,548 in deceased patients. The best discrimination value for mortality prediction was 630 pg/ml with 74% sensitivity and 84% specificity. During the follow-up, the survival rate was 65% for those with median NT-proBNP ≥630 pg/ml and 94% for NT-proBNP <630 pg/ml; p <0.0001. There was only 1% mortality among 388 patients with at least 1 NT-proBNP value ≤220 pg/ml compared with 41% mortality among 54 patients with at least 1 NT-proBNP value >1,548 pg/ml. Even the first (baseline) measurements of NT-proBNP were strongly associated with a high risk of death (log10 NT-proBNP had hazard ratio 7, p <0.0001). In conclusion, NT-proBNP assessment is a useful and simple tool for the prediction of mortality in long-term follow-up of adults with CHD.

Serial measurements of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in patients with coronary heart disease

Objective

To assess the prognostic value of 12-months N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) levels on adverse cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary heart disease.

Methods

NT-proBNP concentrations were measured at baseline and at 12-months follow-up in participants of cardiac rehabilitation (median follow-up 8.96 years). Cox-proportional hazards models evaluated the prognostic value of log-transformed NT-proBNP levels, and of 12-months NT-proBNP relative changes on adverse cardiovascular events adjusting for established risk factors measured at baseline.

Results

Among 798 participants (84.7% men, mean age 59 years) there were 114 adverse cardiovascular events. 12-months NT-proBNP levels were higher than baseline levels in 60 patients (7.5%) and numerically more strongly associated with the outcome in multivariable analysis (HR 1.65 [95% CI 1.33–2.05] vs. HR 1.41 [95% CI 1.12–1.78], with a net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 0.098 [95% CI 0.002–0.194] compared to NRI of 0.047 [95% CI −0.0004–0.133] for baseline NT-proBNP levels. A 12-month 10% increment of NT-proBNP was associated with a HR of 1.35 [95% CI 1.12–1.63] for the onset of an adverse cardiovascular event. Subjects with a 12-month increment of NT-proBNP had a HR of 2.56 [95% CI 1.10–5.95] compared to those with the highest 12-months reduction.

Conclusions

Twelve-months NT-proBNP levels after an acute cardiovascular event are strongly associated with a subsequent event and may provide numerically better reclassification of patients at risk for an adverse cardiovascular event compared to NT-proBNP baseline levels after adjustment for established risk factors.

Prognostic value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing left main percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing acute left main (LM) coronary artery revascularization have a high mortality and natriuretic peptides such as N-terminal pro-B-type (NT-proBNP) have been shown to have prognostic value in patients with acute coronary syndromes. The present study looked at the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in these patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied all consecutive patients undergoing acute LM coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention between January 2005 and December 2008 in whom NT-proBNP was measured (n=71). We analyzed the clinical characteristics and the short- and long-term outcomes in relation to NT-proBNP level at admission. Median NT-proBNP was 1,364 ng/L, ranging from 46 to 70,000 ng/L. NT-proBNP was elevated in 63 (89%) patients and was ≥1,000ng/L in 42 (59%). Log NT-proBNP (hazard ratio [HR] 3.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-7.97, P=0.003) and left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.95, 95%CI 0.91-0.99, P=0.007) were predictors for all-cause mortality. Log NT-proBNP was the only independent significant predictor of cardiovascular mortality. In-hospital mortality was 0% for patients with NT-proBNP <1,000, but 17% for those with NT-proBNP ≥1,000 (P=0.036).

CONCLUSIONS

NT-proBNP is a strong predictor of outcome in patients undergoing acute LM coronary artery stenting. Mortality in such patients is high, but those with NT-proBNP < 1,000ng/L may have a favorable short- and long-term prognosis. Further research, including a larger patient population, is needed to determine the optimal cut-off value for NT-proBNP in patients undergoing acute LM coronary artery intervention.