N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the emergency diagnosis and in-hospital monitoring of patients with dyspnoea and ventricular dysfunction

Current Review of Heart Failure-Related Risk and Prognostic Factors

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by the heart's inability to maintain sufficient circulation, leading to inadequate organ perfusion and fluid buildup. A thorough understanding of the molecular, biochemical, and hemodynamic interactions that underlie this condition is essential for improving its management and enhancing patient outcomes. Recent advancements in cardiovascular research have emphasized the critical role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, playing an important part in the development and progression of HF. This review aims to explore the contributions of miRNAs, systemic congestion markers, and traditional biomarkers to the pathophysiology of heart failure, with the objective of clarifying their prognostic value and potential clinical applications. Among the miRNAs studied, miR-30d, miR-126-3p, and miR-483-3p have been identified as key players in processes such as left ventricular remodeling, regulation of pulmonary artery pressure, and adaptation of the right ventricle. These findings underscore the importance of miRNAs in modulating the structural and functional changes seen in HF. Beyond the heart, HF affects multiple organ systems, including the kidneys and liver, with markers of dysfunction in these organs-such as worsening renal function and liver stiffness-being closely linked to increased morbidity and mortality. This highlights the interdependence of the heart and other organs, where systemic congestion, indicated by elevated venous pressures, exacerbates organ dysfunction. In this context, traditional biomarkers like natriuretic peptides and cardiac troponins remain vital tools in the diagnosis and management of HF. Natriuretic peptides reflect ventricular strain, while troponins are indicators of myocardial injury, both of which are critical for risk stratification and monitoring disease progression. Emerging diagnostic techniques, such as lung ultrasonography and advanced echocardiographic methods, offer new ways to assess hemodynamic status, further aiding therapeutic decision-making. These techniques, alongside established biomarkers, provide a more comprehensive approach to understanding the complexities of heart failure and managing its impact on patients. In conclusion, miRNAs, systemic congestion markers, and traditional biomarkers are indispensable for understanding HF pathophysiology and determining patient prognosis. The integration of novel diagnostic tools with existing biomarkers holds the promise of improved strategies for the management of heart failure. However, further research is needed to validate their prognostic value and refine their role in optimizing treatment outcomes.

The multidimensional value of natriuretic peptides in heart failure, integrating laboratory and clinical aspects

Natriuretic peptides (NP) play an essential role in heart failure (HF) regulation, and their measurement has improved diagnostic and prognostic accuracy. Clinical symptoms and objective measurements, such as NP levels, should be included in the HF definition to render it more reliable and consistent among observers, hospitals, and healthcare systems. BNP and NT-proBNP are reasonable surrogates for cardiac disease, and their measurement is critical to early diagnosis and risk stratification of HF patients. NPs should be measured in all patients presenting with dyspnea or other symptoms suggestive of HF to facilitate early diagnosis and risk stratification. Both BNP and NT-proBNP are currently used for guided HF management and display comparable diagnostic and prognostic accuracy. Standardized cutoffs for each NP assay are essential for data comparison. The value of NP testing is recognized at various levels, including patient empowerment and education, analytical and operational issues, clinical HF management, and cost-effectiveness.

MEESSI-AHF score to estimate short-term prognosis of acute heart failure patients in the Emergency Department: a prospective and multicenter study

BACKGROUND

The assessment of acute heart failure (AHF) prognosis is primordial in emergency setting. Although AHF management is exhaustively codified using mortality predictors, there is currently no recommended scoring system for assessing prognosis. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommends a comprehensive assessment of global AHF prognosis, considering in-hospital mortality, early rehospitalization rates and the length of hospital stay.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to prospectively evaluate the performance of the Multiple Estimation of risk based on the Emergency department Spanish Score In patients with AHF (MEESSI-AHF) score in estimating short prognosis according to the ESC guidelines.

DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PATIENTS

A multicenter study was conducted between November 2020, and June 2021. Adult patients who presented to eleven French hospitals for AHF were prospectively included.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

According to MEESSI-AHF score, patients were stratified in four categories corresponding to mortality risk: low-, intermediate-, high- and very high-risk groups. The primary outcome was the number of days alive and out of the hospital during the 30-day period following admission to the Emergency Department (ED).

RESULTS

In total, 390 patients were included. The number of days alive and out of the hospital decreased significatively with increasing MEESSI-AHF risk groups, ranging from 21.2 days (20.3-22.3 days) for the low-risk, 20 days (19.3-20.5 days) for intermediate risk,18.6 days (17.6-19.6 days) for the high-risk and 17.9 days (16.9-18.9 days) very high-risk category.

CONCLUSION

Among patients admitted to ED for an episode of AHF, the MEESSI-AHF score estimates with good performance the number of days alive and out of the hospital.

Practical algorithms for early diagnosis of heart failure and heart stress using NT-proBNP: A clinical consensus statement from the Heart Failure Association of the ESC

Diagnosing heart failure is often difficult due to the non-specific nature of symptoms, which can be caused by a range of medical conditions. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) have been recognized as important biomarkers for diagnosing heart failure. This document from the Heart Failure Association examines the practical uses of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in various clinical scenarios. The concentrations of NT-proBNP vary according to the patient profile and the clinical scenario, therefore values should be interpreted with caution to ensure appropriate diagnosis. Validated cut-points are provided to rule in or rule out acute heart failure in the emergency department and to diagnose de novo heart failure in the outpatient setting. We also coin the concept of 'heart stress' when NT-proBNP levels are elevated in an asymptomatic patient with risk factors for heart failure (i.e. diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease), underlying the development of cardiac dysfunction and further increased risk. We propose a simple acronym for healthcare professionals and patients, FIND-HF, which serves as a prompt to consider heart failure: Fatigue, Increased water accumulation, Natriuretic peptide testing, and Dyspnoea. Use of this acronym would enable the early diagnosis of heart failure. Overall, understanding and utilizing NT-proBNP levels will lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses of heart failure ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Electrocardiography Detects B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide

BACKGROUND: The B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pBNP) are predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Since the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled electrocardiogram (ECG) system is widely used in the management of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), patients requiring intensive monitoring may benefit from an AI-ECG with BNP/pBNP predictions. This study aimed to develop an AI-ECG to predict BNP/pBNP and compare their values for future mortality. METHODS: The development, tuning, internal validation, and external validation sets included 47,709, 16,249, 4001, and 6042 ECGs, respectively. Deep learning models (DLMs) were trained using a development set for estimating ECG-based BNP/pBNP (ECG-BNP/ECG-pBNP), and the tuning set was used to guide the training process. The ECGs in internal and external validation sets belonging to nonrepeating patients were used to validate the DLMs. We also followed-up all-cause mortality to explore the prognostic value. RESULTS: The DLMs accurately distinguished mild (≥500 pg/mL) and severe (≥1000 pg/mL) an abnormal BNP/pBNP with AUCs of ≥0.85 in the internal and external validation sets, which provided sensitivities of 68.0-85.0% and specificities of 77.9-86.2%. In continuous predictions, the Pearson correlation coefficient between ECG-BNP and ECG-pBNP was 0.93, and they were both associated with similar ECG features, such as the T wave axis and correct QT interval. ECG-pBNP provided a higher all-cause mortality predictive value than ECG-BNP. CONCLUSIONS: The AI-ECG can accurately estimate BNP/pBNP and may be useful for monitoring the risk of CVDs. Moreover, ECG-pBNP may be a better indicator to manage the risk of future mortality.

Role of biomarkers in the heart failure clinic

Heart failure (HF) is a common cardiovascular disease that has a complex pathophysiology. Because it is the final stage of many cardiovascular diseases, proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial for prolonging patients’ survival and improving their well-being. Several biomarkers have been identified in HF, and their roles in diagnosis and prognostication have been widely investigated. Among them, natriuretic peptides are key for diagnosing HF, predicting its prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of HF treatment. Moreover, natriuretic peptides can also be used to treat HF. In addition to natriuretic peptides, several other biomarkers were included in the most recent HF management guidelines. Thus, we reviewed the role of the biomarkers included in these guidelines and discussed future perspectives.

Biomarker Development in Cardiology: Reviewing the Past to Inform the Future

Cardiac biomarkers have become pivotal to the clinical practice of cardiology, but there remains much to discover that could benefit cardiology patients. We review the discovery of key protein biomarkers in the fields of acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, and atherosclerosis, giving an overview of the populations they were studied in and the statistics that were used to validate them. We review statistical approaches that are currently in use to assess new biomarkers and overview a framework for biomarker discovery and evaluation that could be incorporated into clinical trials to evaluate cardiovascular outcomes in the future.

Low-Level Elevations of Procalcitonin Are Associated with Increased Mortality in Acute Heart Failure Patients, Independent of Concomitant Infection

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) in acute heart failure (AHF) patients, especially in those without underlying infection. We enrolled patients presenting with acute dyspnea to the emergency department (ED) of Heidelberg University Hospital and studied the prognostic role of PCT on all-cause death. Of 312 patients, AHF was diagnosed in 139 patients. Of these, 125 patients had AHF without signs of infection, and 14 had AHF complicated by respiratory or other infection. The optimal prognostic PCT cutoff value for mortality prediction was calculated by a receiver operating characteristics curve. In patients with AHF, the prognostic PCT cutoff value was 0.08 ng/mL. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that AHF patients with PCT values > 0.08 ng/mL had a higher all-cause mortality at 120 days than those with PCT values ≤ 0.08 ng/mL (log-rank p = 0.0123). Similar results could be obtained after subdivision into AHF patients with and without signs of overt infection. In both cases, mortality was higher in patients with PCT levels above the prognostic PCT cutoff than in those with values ranging below this threshold. Moreover, we show that the prognostic PCT cutoff values for mortality prediction ranged below the established PCT cutoff for the guidance of antibiotic therapy. In conclusion, the data of our study revealed that low-level elevations of PCT were associated with an increased mortality in patients with AHF, irrespective of concomitant respiratory or other infection. PCT should thus be further used as a marker in the risk stratification of AHF.

A review of biosensors for the detection of B-type natriuretic peptide as an important cardiovascular biomarker

Heart disease, as the most serious threat to human health globally, is responsible for rising mortality rates, largely due to lifestyle and diet. Unfortunately, the main problem for patients at high risk of heart disease is the validation of prognostic tests. To this end, the detection of cardiovascular biomarkers has been employed to obtain pathological and physiological information in order to improve prognosis and early-stage diagnosis of chronic heart failure. Short-term changes in B-type natriuretic peptide are known as a standard and important biomarker for diagnosis of heart failure. The most important problem for detection is low concentration and short half-life in the blood. The normal concentration of BNP in blood is less than 7 nM (25 pg/mL), which increases significantly to more than 80 pg/mL. Therefore, the development of new biosensors with better sensitivity, detection limit, and dynamic range than current commercial kits is urgently needed. This review classifies the biosensors designed for detection of BNP into electrochemical, optical, microfluidic, and lateral-flow immunoassay techniques. The review clearly demonstrates that a variety of immunoassay, aptasensor, enzymatic and catalytic nanomaterials, and fluorophores have been successfully employed for detection of BNP at low attomolar ranges. Dtection of B-type natriuretic peptide with biosensors.

Salt Taste Sensitivity and Heart Failure Outcomes Following Heart Failure Hospitalization

Salt taste sensitivity can change after heart failure (HF) hospitalization, however the relation between changes in salt taste sensitivity with HF symptoms, biomarkers, and outcomes is unknown. We assessed salt taste sensitivity over 12 weeks following HF hospitalization using a validated, point-of-care salt taste test. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: increase or no increase in salt taste sensitivity. HF biomarkers and outcomes were compared using 2-sample t tests and log-transformed t tests for non-normally distributed parameters. Baseline characteristics generally did not differ for subjects with an increase in salt taste sensitivity over 12 weeks compared with those without an increase in salt taste sensitivity. The total number of 12-week hospital days was 60 versus 121 days, with an average number of hospital days of 5.45 [3.88] versus 11.00 [6.74] (p = 0.03) among those hospitalized in the groups with an increase versus no increase in salt taste sensitivity, respectively. In conclusion, changes in salt taste sensitivity occurred in some but not all subjects in a 12-week period following HF hospitalization. Subjects with increased salt taste sensitivity over this time period were rehospitalized for fewer days. Improved salt taste sensitivity may represent a novel prognostic factor in postdischarge patients with HF.

Risk Prediction in Transition: MAGGIC Score Performance at Discharge and Incremental Utility of Natriuretic Peptides

BACKGROUND

Risk stratification for hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) remains a critical need. The Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) score is a robust model derived from patients with ambulatory HF. Its validity at the time of discharge and the incremental value of natriuretic peptides (NPs) in this setting is unclear.

METHODS

This was a single-center study examining a total of 4138 patients with HF from 2 groups; hospital discharge patients from administrative data (n = 2503, 60.5%) and a prospective registry of patients with ambulatory HF (n = 1635, 39.5%). The ambulatory registry patients underwent N-terminal pro-B-type NP (BNP) measurement at enrollment, and in the hospitalize discharge cohort clinical BNP levels were abstracted. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality within 1 year. MAGGIC score performance was compared between cohorts utilizing Cox regression and calibration plots. The incremental value of NPs was assessed using calculated area under the curve and net reclassification improvement (NRI).

RESULTS

The hospitalized and ambulatory cohorts differed with respect to primary outcome (777 and 100 deaths, respectively), sex (52.1% vs 41.7% female) and race (35% vs 49.5% African American). The MAGGIC score showed poor discrimination of mortality risk in the hospital discharge (C statistic: 0.668, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.1 per point, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.652, 0.684) but fair discrimination in the ambulatory cohorts (C statistic: 0.784, HR: 1.16 per point, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.83), respectively, a difference that was statistically significant (P = .001 for C statistic, 0.002 for HR). Calibration assessment indicated that the slope and intercept (of MAGGIC-predicted to observed mortality) did not statistically differ from ideal in either cohort and did not differ between the cohorts (all P > .1). NP levels did not significantly improve prediction in the hospitalized cohort (P = .127) but did in the ambulatory cohort (C statistic: 0.784 [95% CI: 0.74, 0.83] vs 0.82 [95% CI: 0.78, 0.85]; P = .018) with a favorable NRI of 0.354 (95% CI: 0.202-0.469; P = .002).

CONCLUSION

The MAGGIC score showed poor discrimination when used in patients with HF at hospital discharge, which was inferior to its performance in patients with ambulatory HF. Discrimination within the hospital discharge group was not improved by including hospital NP levels.

Early Right Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction and Pulmonary Hypertension Are Associated With Worse Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence and importance of early right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome are unknown. We aimed to describe the prevalence of right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension within 24 hours of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis and their associations with outcomes.

DESIGN

Retrospective, single-center cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary care, university-affiliated PICU.

PATIENTS

Children who had echocardiograms performed within 24 hours of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2016, 103 children met inclusion criteria. Echocardiograms were analyzed using established indices of right ventricular and left ventricular systolic function and for evidence of pulmonary hypertension. Echocardiographic abnormalities were common: 26% had low right ventricular fractional area change, 65% had low tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, 30% had low left ventricular fractional shortening, and 21% had evidence of pulmonary hypertension. Abnormal right ventricular global longitudinal strain and abnormal right ventricular free wall strain were present in 35% and 40% of patients, respectively. No echocardiographic variables differed between or across pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome severity. In multivariable analyses, right ventricular global longitudinal strain was independently associated with PICU mortality (odds ratio, 3.57 [1.33-9.60]; p = 0.01), whereas right ventricular global longitudinal strain, right ventricular free wall strain, and the presence of pulmonary hypertension were independently associated with lower probability of extubation (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.46 [0.26-0.83], p = 0.01; subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.58 [0.35-0.98], p = 0.04; and subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.49 [0.26-0.92], p = 0.03, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Early ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension were detectable, prevalent, and independent of lung injury severity in children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Right ventricular dysfunction was associated with PICU mortality, whereas right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension were associated with lower probability of extubation.

NT-proBNP incorporated in prediction rule of major peri-operative adverse cardiac event in non-cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery are at risk for peri-operative major cardiac events (PMCEs). The most common risk assessment tool is Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI). N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measured peri-operatively has prognostic information but the implication is uncertain. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of combining NT-proBNP and RCRI in predicting the PMCE in major non-cardiac surgery.

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort study to include non-cardiac surgical patients with moderate or high risk. PMCE included myocardial infarction, pulmonary edema, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiac death occurring within 30 days post-operatively. Logistic regression models and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the discriminative ability of NT-proBNP alone or incorporation with RCRI or its components in predicting PMCE.

RESULTS

A total of 366 patients was included in the study with 48 PMCEs. When predicting PMCE, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) (95%-CI) of NT-proBNP alone and NT-proBNP incorporated with RCRI were 0.875 (0.819-0.932) and 0.882 (0.827-0.937), respectively. When incorporating NT-proBNP with the RCRI's components, the best four chosen models had the AUCs between 0.879 and 0.891. All these AUCs were not significantly different with the AUC of NT-proBNP alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher preoperative NT-proBNP level leads to the increased risk of PMCE in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Compared to NT-proBNP alone, the combination of NT-proBNP with the RCRI and other factors does not improve the accuracy in predicting PMCE. Future large studies are required to build a more accurate risk score.

NT-ProBNP Predicts Total Mortality, Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalization, Intensive-Care Unit Admission, and Cardiovascular Events in Hemodialysis Patients

N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was considered a prognostic factor for mortality in hemodialysis patients in previous studies. However, NT-proBNP has not been fully explored in terms of predicting other clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to investigate if NT-proBNP could predict emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, admission to intensive-care unit (ICU), and cardiovascular incidents in hemodialysis patients. Serum NT-proBNP and other indicators were collected in 232 hemodialysis patients. Patients were followed up for three years or until mortality. Outcomes included mortality, number of ED visits, hospitalizations, admissions to ICU, and cardiovascular events. NT-proBNP was found to predict recurrent ER visits, hospitalization, admission to ICU, cardiovascular events, and mortality, after adjusting for covariates. Time-dependent area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the NT-proBNP predicting ability. Using time-dependent AUC, NT-proBNP has good predictive ability for mortality, ED visit, hospitalization, ICU admission, and cardiovascular events with the best predictive ability occurring at approximately 1 year, and 5th, 62nd, 63rd, and 63rd days respectively. AUC values for predicting mortality, hospitalization, and ICU admission decreased significantly after one year. NT-proBNP can be applied in predicting ED visits but is only suitable for the short-term. NT-proBNP may be used for predicting mortality in the long term.

Lung ultrasound integrated with clinical assessment for the diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial

AIMS

Although acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a common cause of dyspnoea, its diagnosis still represents a challenge. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an emerging point-of-care diagnostic tool, but its diagnostic performance for ADHF has not been evaluated in randomized studies. We evaluated, in patients with acute dyspnoea, accuracy and clinical usefulness of combining LUS with clinical assessment compared to the use of chest radiography (CXR) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in conjunction with clinical evaluation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This was a randomized trial conducted in two emergency departments. After initial clinical evaluation, patients with acute dyspnoea were classified by the treating physician according to presumptive aetiology (ADHF or non-ADHF). Patients were subsequently randomized to continue with either LUS or CXR/NT-proBNP. A new diagnosis, integrating the results of both initial assessment and the newly obtained findings, was then recorded. Diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of LUS and CXR/NT-proBNP approaches were calculated. A total of 518 patients were randomized. Addition of LUS had higher accuracy [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.95] than clinical evaluation alone (AUC 0.88) in identifying ADHF (P < 0.01). In contrast, use of CXR/NT-proBNP did not significantly increase the accuracy of clinical evaluation alone (AUC 0.87 and 0.85, respectively; P > 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of the LUS-integrated approach was higher then that of the CXR/Nt-proBNP-integrated approach (AUC 0.95 vs. 0.87, p < 0.01). Combining LUS with the clinical evaluation reduced diagnostic errors by 7.98 cases/100 patients, as compared to 2.42 cases/100 patients in the CXR/Nt-proBNP group.

CONCLUSION

Integration of LUS with clinical assessment for the diagnosis of ADHF in the emergency department seems to be more accurate than the current diagnostic approach based on CXR and NT-proBNP.

Effect of atorvastatin on oxidative stress and inflammation markers in myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs: A comparison of subclinical and clinical stages

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common acquired cardiac disorder found in dogs. The disease process can lead to heart failure (HF) and has been found to be associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Statins exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in human HF patients. However, the beneficial effects of statins in MMVD dogs are still unclear. Thirty MMVD dogs were enrolled in the study and were divided into two groups: MMVD without HF dogs (n = 15) and MMVD with HF dogs (n = 15). Atorvastatin (8 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ) was administered orally to all dogs for 4 weeks. All dogs underwent physical examination and cardiac examination at the beginning and end of the experiment, including baseline values for hematology, blood chemistry profile, lipid profile, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, oxidative stress marker (8-isoprostane), and inflammatory marker (tumor necrosis factor alpha). The results showed that atorvastatin reduced plasma cholesterol levels in both groups. In addition, plasma concentrations of 8-isoprostane, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide were significantly lower after atorvastatin administration, but only in MMVD dogs in the HF group. Atorvastatin found to be associated with possible antioxidant and inflammatory effects in dogs with HF secondary to MMVD. The potential benefits of statins in dogs with HF merits further investigation in larger, placebo-controlled studies.

Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Its Biochemical, Analytical, and Clinical Issues in Heart Failure: A Narrative Review

Heart failure (HF) is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. As the most widely studied and commonly applied natriuretic peptide (NP), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has the effects of diuresis, natriuresis, vasodilation, anti-hypertrophy, and anti-fibrosis and it inhibits the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems to maintain cardiorenal homeostasis and counteract the effects of HF. Both BNP and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are applied as diagnostic, managing, and prognostic tools for HF. However, due to the complexity of BNP system, the diversity of BNP forms and the heterogeneity of HF status, there are biochemical, analytical, and clinical issues on BNP not fully understood. Current immunoassays cross-react to varying degrees with pro B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP), NT-proBNP and various BNP forms and cannot effectively differentiate between these forms. Moreover, current immunoassays have different results and may not accurately reflect cardiac function. It is essential to design assays that can recognize specific forms of BNP, NT-proBNP, and proBNP to obtain more clinical information. Not only the processing of proBNP (corin/furin) and BNP (neprilysin), but also the effects of glycosylation on proBNP processing and BNP assays, should be targeted in future studies to enhance their diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic values.

Korean Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is skyrocketing worldwide, and is closely associated with serious morbidity and mortality. In particular, HF is one of the main causes for the hospitalization and mortality in elderly individuals. Korea also has these epidemiological problems, and HF is responsible for huge socioeconomic burden. However, there has been no clinical guideline for HF management in Korea. 
The present guideline provides the first set of practical guidelines for the management of HF in Korea and was developed using the guideline adaptation process while including as many data from Korean studies as possible. The scope of the present guideline includes the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic HF with reduced/preserved ejection fraction of various etiologies.

Prognostic value of short-term follow-up BNP in hospitalized patients with heart failure

Background

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has prognostic significance in heart failure (HF), and reductions in BNP may predict clinical improvement. However, there are limited data regarding the prognostic value of BNP during short-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between short-term follow-up BNP and mortality after discharge in patients with HF.

Methods

We analyzed 427 patients hospitalized with HF from the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital Heart Failure Registry from April 2011 to December 2013, with a planned follow-up period through February 2016. Of the 427 patients, 240 (mean age, 75 years; 102 males, 42.5%) had BNP measured on admission and within the short-term follow-up period (3 months). We compared all-cause mortality during the clinical follow-up period (median length of follow-up, 709.5 days) according to the median value of BNP on admission (as a baseline value) and over a short-term follow-up period after discharge.

Results

Median BNP at admission was 816.5 pg/ml, and median follow-up BNP was 369.7 pg/ml. Multivariate analysis revealed a positive association between risk of death and high BNP. High BNP during follow-up was significantly associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality compared to low BNP (P < 0.001). Initial BNP was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality. A multivariate model showed that follow-up BNP and percent change in BNP were independently associated with all-cause mortality after adjustment for covariates. Of the 3 BNP measurement strategies, BNP after discharge (IDI of 0.072, P < .0001 and NRI of 0.707, P < .0001) and percent change in BNP (IDI of 0.113, P < .0001 and NRI of 0.782, P < .0001) demonstrated the greatest increase in discrimination and net reclassification for mortality. Unfortunately, we did not find any significant value with initial BNP. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to assess mortality stratified by BNP according to the median value, high median of follow-up BNP and percent change in BNP were associated with significantly higher mortality compared to the below median (log-rank, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Short-term follow-up BNP and percent change in BNP level are significant prognostic factors of all-cause mortality. These values will be clinically useful when evaluating prognosis in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Comparative accuracy of NT-proBNP and MR-proANP for the diagnosis of acute heart failure in dyspnoeic patients

AIMS

To compare the performance of the natriuretic peptides (NPs) NT-proBNP and MR-proANP for the diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF) in subsets of conditions potentially confounding the interpretation of NPs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied 312 patients, presenting to the emergency department with new onset of dyspnoea or worsening of chronic dyspnoea within the last 2 weeks. Performance of NPs for the diagnosis of AHF was tested and compared using C-statistics in the entire cohort and in conditions previously described to confound interpretation of NPs such as older age, renal failure, obesity, atrial fibrillation or paced rhythm, and in the NT-proBNP grey zone. AHF was diagnosed in 139 patients. In the entire cohort, the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP was comparable with that of MR-proANP. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that optimal diagnostic cut-offs were higher in the presence of older age, kidney failure or rhythm disorder. However, there were no statistically relevant differences between the receiver operating characteristic curves analysed in the total population and those studied in the pre-specified subsets severe kidney failure, advanced age, obesity, atrial fibrillation and paced rhythm, and grey zone NT-proBNP values. Moreover, the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP was comparable with that of MR-proANP in the subsets.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of NT-proBNP and MR-proANP for AHF is comparable in the total population as well as in the subsets with potentially confounding characteristics such as older age, renal dysfunction, obesity, atrial fibrillation and paced rhythm, or those with NT-proBNP values in the grey zone.

Diagnosing Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute heart failure (AHF) is one of the most common diagnoses assigned to emergency department (ED) patients who are hospitalized. Despite its high prevalence in the emergency setting, the diagnosis of AHF in ED patients with undifferentiated dyspnea can be challenging.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the operating characteristics of diagnostic elements available to the emergency physician for diagnosing AHF. Secondary objectives were to develop a test-treatment threshold model and to calculate interval likelihood ratios (LRs) for natriuretic peptides (NPs) by pooling patient-level results.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and selected bibliographies were searched from January 1965 to March 2015 using MeSH terms to address the ability of the following index tests to predict AHF as a cause of dyspnea in adult patients in the ED: history and physical examination, electrocardiogram, chest radiograph (CXR), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), lung ultrasound (US), bedside echocardiography, and bioimpedance. A diagnosis of AHF based on clinical data combined with objective test results served as the criterion standard diagnosis. Data were analyzed using Meta-DiSc software. Authors of all NP studies were contacted to obtain patient-level data. The Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) for systematic reviews was utilized to evaluate the quality and applicability of the studies included.

RESULTS

Based on the included studies, the prevalence of AHF ranged from 29% to 79%. Index tests with pooled positive LRs ≥ 4 were the auscultation of S3 on physical examination (4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7 to 5.9), pulmonary edema on both CXR (4.8, 95% CI = 3.6 to 6.4) and lung US (7.4, 95% CI = 4.2 to 12.8), and reduced ejection fraction observed on bedside echocardiogram (4.1, 95% CI = 2.4 to 7.2). Tests with low negative LRs were BNP < 100 pg/mL (0.11, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.16), NT-proBNP < 300 pg/mL (0.09, 95% CI = 0.03 to 0.34), and B-line pattern on lung US LR (0.16, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.51). Interval LRs of BNP concentrations at the low end of "positive" results as defined by a cutoff of 100 pg/mL were substantially lower (100 to 200 pg/mL; 0.29, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.38) than those associated with higher BNP concentrations (1000 to 1500 pg/mL; 7.12, 95% CI = 4.53 to 11.18). The interval LR of NT-proBNP concentrations even at very high values (30,000 to 200,000 pg/mL) was 3.30 (95% CI = 2.05 to 5.31).

CONCLUSIONS

Bedside lung US and echocardiography appear to the most useful tests for affirming the presence of AHF while NPs are valuable in excluding the diagnosis.

Biomarkers for risk prediction in acute decompensated heart failure

Risk prediction in patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains a challenge. Biomarkers may improve risk prediction, which in turn may help to better inform patients regarding short-term and long-term prognosis, therapy and care. Most data on biomarkers have been derived from patient cohorts with chronic heart failure. In ADHF, currently, risk tools largely rely on common clinical and biochemical parameters. However, ADHF is not a single disease. It presents in various manners and different etiologies may underlie ADHF, which are reflected by different biomarkers. In the last decade, many studies have reported the prognostic value of these biomarkers. These studies have attempted to describe a value for statistical modeling, e.g., reclassification indices, in an effort to report incremental value over a clinical model or the "gold standard". However, the overall incremental predictive value of biomarkers has been modest compared to already existing clinical models. Natriuretic peptides, e.g., (NTpro-)BNP, are the benchmark, but head-to-head comparisons show that there are novel biomarkers with comparable prognostic value. Multimarker strategies may provide superior risk stratification. Future studies should elucidate cost-effectiveness of single or combined biomarker testing. The purpose of this review was to provide an update on current biomarkers and to identify new promising biomarkers than can be used in prognostication of acute heart failure.

Multimarker testing with ST2 in chronic heart failure

Despite important progress in recent decades, mortality remains high for patients with chronic heart failure. Risk stratification may be refined by the use of biomarkers for different pathophysiological processes that established mortality risk factors do not directly reflect. Biomarkers that are currently available can provide information about at least 7 pathobiological processes operative in HF, help to identify the specific processes involved in individual patients, and aid in constructing management plans. However, the additional prognostic information gained by any biomarker over a clinical risk model plus other biomarkers needs to be determined with adequate statistical tools. A major problem in selecting a biomarker profile is the proportional increase in economic burden; thus, the addition of any biomarker to a profile should be justified by adequate discrimination, calibration, reclassification, and likelihood analyses. Three studies that implemented such rigorous analyses have assessed a multimarker panel in chronic heart failure that incorporated the biomarker ST2: the Penn HF Study, the Barcelona Study, and the ProBNP Outpatient Tailored Chronic Heart Failure (PROTECT) biomarker substudy. In all 3 studies, a multimarker panel appeared to provide significant information over conventional risk stratification. The latter 2 reports proposed that ST2 might be superior to natriuretic peptides. The Barcelona Bio-HF calculator (www.bcnbiohfcalculator.cat) is a novel risk calculator that considers clinical variables, treatment, and biomarkers (i.e., N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], ST2, and high sensitivity troponin T [hsTnT]). The optimal panel of markers, the change in these markers over time, and how these changes might help guide therapeutic interventions remain to be defined.

The diagnostic accuracy of the natriuretic peptides in heart failure: systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis in the acute care setting

OBJECTIVES

To determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of serum natriuretic peptide levels (B type natriuretic peptide, N terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), and mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MRproANP)) in people presenting with acute heart failure to acute care settings using thresholds recommended in the 2012 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for heart failure.

DESIGN

Systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, database of abstracts of reviews of effects, NHS economic evaluation database, and Health Technology Assessment up to 28 January 2014, using combinations of subject headings and terms relating to heart failure and natriuretic peptides.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Eligible studies evaluated one or more natriuretic peptides (B type natriuretic peptide, NTproBNP, or MRproANP) in the diagnosis of acute heart failure against an acceptable reference standard in consecutive or randomly selected adults in an acute care setting. Studies were excluded if they did not present sufficient data to extract or calculate true positives, false positives, false negatives, and true negatives, or report age independent natriuretic peptide thresholds. Studies not available in English were also excluded.

RESULTS

37 unique study cohorts described in 42 study reports were included, with a total of 48 test evaluations reporting 15 263 test results. At the lower recommended thresholds of 100 ng/L for B type natriuretic peptide and 300 ng/L for NTproBNP, the natriuretic peptides have sensitivities of 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.93 to 0.96) and 0.99 (0.97 to 1.00) and negative predictive values of 0.94 (0.90 to 0.96) and 0.98 (0.89 to 1.0), respectively, for a diagnosis of acute heart failure. At the lower recommended threshold of 120 pmol/L, MRproANP has a sensitivity ranging from 0.95 (range 0.90-0.98) to 0.97 (0.95-0.98) and a negative predictive value ranging from 0.90 (0.80-0.96) to 0.97 (0.96-0.98). At higher thresholds the sensitivity declined progressively and specificity remained variable across the range of values. There was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between plasma B type natriuretic peptide and NTproBNP.

CONCLUSIONS

At the rule-out thresholds recommended in the 2012 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for heart failure, plasma B type natriuretic peptide, NTproBNP, and MRproANP have excellent ability to exclude acute heart failure. Specificity is variable, and so imaging to confirm a diagnosis of heart failure is required. There is no statistical difference between the diagnostic accuracy of plasma B type natriuretic peptide and NTproBNP. Introduction of natriuretic peptide measurement in the investigation of patients with suspected acute heart failure has the potential to allow rapid and accurate exclusion of the diagnosis.

State of the art of immunoassay methods for B-type natriuretic peptides: An update

The aim of this review article is to give an update on the state of the art of the immunoassay methods for the measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its related peptides. Using chromatographic procedures, several studies reported an increasing number of circulating peptides related to BNP in human plasma of patients with heart failure. These peptides may have reduced or even no biological activity. Furthermore, other studies have suggested that, using immunoassays that are considered specific for BNP, the precursor of the peptide hormone, proBNP, constitutes a major portion of the peptide measured in plasma of patients with heart failure. Because BNP immunoassay methods show large (up to 50%) systematic differences in values, the use of identical decision values for all immunoassay methods, as suggested by the most recent international guidelines, seems unreasonable. Since proBNP significantly cross-reacts with all commercial immunoassay methods considered specific for BNP, manufacturers should test and clearly declare the degree of cross-reactivity of glycosylated and non-glycosylated proBNP in their BNP immunoassay methods. Clinicians should take into account that there are large systematic differences between methods when they compare results from different laboratories that use different BNP immunoassays. On the other hand, clinical laboratories should take part in external quality assessment (EQA) programs to evaluate the bias of their method in comparison to other BNP methods. Finally, the authors believe that the development of more specific methods for the active peptide, BNP1-32, should reduce the systematic differences between methods and result in better harmonization of results.

An antibody reactive to the Gly63-Lys68 epitope of NT-proBNP exhibits O-glycosylation-independent binding

The N-terminal fragment of prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a commonly used biomarker for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, although its biological function is not well known. NT-proBNP exhibits heavy O-linked glycosylation, and it is quite difficult to develop an antibody that exhibits glycosylation-independent binding. We developed an antibody that binds to the recombinant NT-proBNP protein and its deglycosylated form with similar affinities in an enzyme immunoassay. The epitope was defined as Gly₆₃–Lys₆₈ based on mimetic peptide screening, site-directed mutagenesis and a competition assay with a peptide mimotope. The nearest O-glycosylation residues are Thr₅₈ and Thr₇₁; therefore, four amino acid residues intervene between the epitope and those residues in both directions. In conclusion, we report that an antibody reactive to Gly₆₃–Lys₆₈ of NT-proBNP exhibits O-glycosylation-independent binding.

Clinical Significance of B-type Natriuretic Peptide in Heart Failure

Biochemical tests to detect B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-brain BNP (NT-proBNP) are useful diagnostic methods for patients with possible HF. These tests are valuable prognostic predictors for the entire spectrum of HF disease severity. Therefore, the measurements of BNP or NT-proBNP taken along with conventional clinical assessments may assist clinicians in deciding treatment. The following review briefly summarizes the available information regarding the clinical significance of BNP and NT-proBNP.

N-terminal proBNP: a novel biomarker for the diagnosis, risk stratification and management of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world and is now the leading cause of hospitalizations in adults over 65 years of age with an estimated annual expenditure in excess of USD 20 billion. In addition, it is the only cardiovascular disorder that continues to increase in both incidence and prevalence, and as the population continues to age, it is expected that the prevalence of this disease will continue to rise. Ironically, the armamentarium of medications that decrease mortality due to congestive heart failure also continues to grow; however, the relative number of eligible patients with congestive heart failure (or at risk for congestive heart failure) that receive these important therapies remains low. Thus, better tools to aid the early diagnosis and management of this disease are needed. Testing for natriuretic peptide markers, such as B-type natriuretic peptide or its amino-terminal fragment, has emerged as an important tool to assist in the optimal diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with congestive heart failure and may also play a valuable role in guiding therapy.

Determination of a predictive cutoff value of NT-proBNP testing for long-term survival in ED patients with acute heart failure

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this study was to determine a predictive cutoff value for plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) that could successfully predict the long-term (4-year) survival of patients with acute heart failure (HF) at the time of admission to the emergency department (ED). To our best knowledge, our study is the first research done to identify a predictive cutoff value for admission NT-proBNP to the prescriptive 4-year survival of patients admitted to ED with acute HF diagnosis.

METHODS

NT-proBNP levels were measured in plasma obtained from 99 patients with dyspnea and left ventricular dysfunction upon admission to the ED. The end point was survival from the time of inclusion through 4 years.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients in this study was 71.1 ± 10.3 years; 50 of these patients were female. During the 4-year follow-up period, 76 patients died; survivors were significantly younger than non-survivors (64.26 ± 11.42 years vs 72.83 ± 11.07 years, P = .002). The optimal NT-proBNP cutoff point for predicting 4-year survival at the time of admission was 2300 pg/mL, which had 85.9% sensitivity and 39.1% specificity (95% confidence interval, area under the curve: 0.639, P = .044).

CONCLUSION

Elevated NT-proBNP levels at the time of admission are a strong and independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with acute HF 4 years after admission. Furthermore, the optimal cutoff level of NT-proBNP used to predict 4-year survival had high sensitivity. However, especially in the case of long-term survival, additional prospective, large, and multicenter studies are required to confirm our results.

Predictive cutoff point of admission N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide testing in the ED for prognosis of patients with acute heart failure

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this study was to determine a cutoff level of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) that could successfully predict the short- and long-term prognosis of patients with acute heart failure at the time of admission to the emergency department. The results of our study are presented in context with previously published literature. We believe that the present study will be useful and salutary for the progress of literature.

METHODS

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide plasma levels were obtained from 100 patients with shortness of breath and left ventricular dysfunction upon admission to the emergency department. All patients underwent follow-up evaluations 30 days and 1 year after admission. The end point was defined as all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients in this study was 70.8 ± 11.6 years, and 51% were female. All-cause mortality at the 30-day and 1-year follow-up evaluations was 21.2% and 53.5%, respectively. We determined that the optimal NT-proBNP cutoff point for predicting 30-day mortality at the time of admission was 9152.4 pg/mL, with a 71.4% sensitivity and an 81.3% specificity (95% confidence interval, area under the curve: 0.726; P = .002). The optimal NT-proBNP cutoff point for predicting 1-year mortality at the time of admission was 3630.5 pg/mL, with an 83.0% sensitivity and a 52.2% specificity (95% confidence interval, area under the curve: 0.644; P = .014).

CONCLUSION

Elevated NT-proBNP levels at the time of admission are a strong and independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with acute heart failure at 30 days and 1 year after admission. Furthermore, the optimal cutoff level of NT-proBNP used to predict 30-day and 1-year mortality had high sensitivity.

Utility of NT-proBNP for identifying LV failure in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis

BACKGROUND

NT-proBNP has been widely regarded as a useful tool for diagnosis or exclusion of heart failure (HF) in many settings. However, in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB), its roles have not been well described. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP for identifying left ventricular (LV) failure in such patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

311 AECB patients and 102 stable chronic bronchitis patients with no history of HF were enrolled. Plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were measured using Roche Elecsys. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) diagnostic principles were adopted to identify HF and the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP was evaluated by ROC. Our results showed, the median NT-proBNP level in patients with LV failure [4828.4 (2044.4-9203.6) ng/L] was significantly higher than that in those without LV failure [519.2 (179.1-1409.8) ng/L, p<0.001] and stable controls [207.5 (186.5-318.2) ng/L, p<0.001]. LV failure, renal function, atrial fibrillation and systolic pulmonary artery pressure were independent predictors of NT-proBNP levels (all p<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) of NT-proBNP for identifying LV failure was 0.884, significantly superior to clinical judgment alone (AUC 0.835, p = 0.0294). At the optimal cutoff value of 935.0 ng/L, NT-proBNP yielded sensitivity 94.4%, specificity 68.2%, accuracy 74.3% and negative predictive value 97.6%. Adding the results of NT-proBNP to those of clinical judgment improved the diagnostic accuracy for LV failure.

CONCLUSION

As a tool for diagnosis or exclusion of HF, NT-proBNP can help physicians identify LV failure in patients with AECB.

Brain natriuretic peptide-guided therapy in the inpatient management of decompensated heart failure

Heart failure is extremely prevalent and is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and cost. Studies have already established mortality benefit with the use of neurohormonal blockade therapy in systolic failure. Unfortunately, physical signs and symptoms of heart failure lack diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and medication doses proven to improve mortality in clinical trials are often not achieved. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has proven to be of clinical use in the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure, and recent efforts have been taken to further elucidate its role in guiding heart failure management. Multiple studies have been conducted on outpatient guided management, and although still controversial, there is a trend towards improved outcomes. Inpatient studies are lacking, but preliminary data suggest various BNP cut-off values, as well as percentage changes in BNP, that could be useful in predicting outcomes and improving mortality. In the future, heart failure management will probably involve an algorithm using clinical assessment and a multibiomarker-guided approach.

Updating the role of natriuretic peptide levels in cardiovascular disease

Heart disease affects 1 in 3 individuals in the United States, and the prevalence of heart failure (HF) is increasing exponentially. Although our understanding of the disease progression of congestive HF (CHF) has advanced, refining the areas of diagnosis, risk stratification, prognosis, and treatment is still needed. The natriuretic peptides, specifically B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), have shown promise in clinical practice. Brain natriuretic peptide is released from cardiac ventricular myocytes in response to volume or pressure overload. Rapid measurement of plasma BNP or NT-proBNP has been shown to increase the diagnostic accuracy of HF exacerbations. A cutoff value of 100 pg/mL has a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 73%, respectively, according to the Breathing Not Properly Study. In addition, BNP and NT-proBNP have been considered independent predictors of adverse outcome. One study calculated a 35% increase in risk of death due to HF for every 100-pg/mL increase in BNP level. Lastly, natriuretic peptides have been known to decrease following medical therapy of HF, suggesting the role of their measurement in monitoring inpatient disease progression and outpatient medical programs. The future of natriuretic peptides lies in risk stratification in other cardiac diseases, such as acute coronary syndrome, and possibly determining severity of valvular disease. Although there is substantial work done in elucidating the power of natriuretic peptides in clinical practice, more research is necessary to reach a consensus regarding how to appropriately utilize them in treatment regimens.

Brain natriuretic peptide in the evaluation of emergency department dyspnea: is there a role?

BACKGROUND

Acute decompensated congestive heart failure (ADCHF) is a common etiology of dyspnea in emergency department (ED) patients. Delayed diagnosis of ADCHF increases morbidity and mortality. Two cardiac biomarkers, N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have demonstrated excellent sensitivity in diagnostic accuracy studies, but the clinical impact on patient-oriented outcomes of these tests remains in question.

CLINICAL QUESTION

Does emergency physician awareness of BNP or NT-proBNP level improve ADCHF patient-important outcomes including ED length of stay, hospital length of stay, cardiovascular mortality, or overall health care costs?

EVIDENCE REVIEW

Five trials have randomized clinicians to either knowledge of or no knowledge of ADCHF biomarker levels in ED patients with dyspnea and some suspicion for heart failure. In assessing patient-oriented outcomes such as length-of-stay, return visits, and overall health care costs, the randomized controlled trials fail to provide evidence of unequivocal benefit to patients, clinicians, or society.

CONCLUSION

Clinician awareness of BNP or NT-proBNP levels in ED dyspnea patients does not necessarily improve outcomes. Future ADCHF biomarker trials must assess patient-oriented outcomes in conjunction with validated risk-stratification instruments.

Validity of Amino Terminal pro-Brain Natiuretic Peptide in a Medically Complex Elderly Population

Background

The routine use of natiuretic peptides in severely dyspneic patients has recently been called into question. We hypothesized that the diagnostic utility of Amino Terminal pro Brain Natiuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) is diminished in a complex elderly population.

Methods

We studied 502 consecutive patients in whom NT-proBNP values were obtained to evaluate severe dyspnea in the emergency department. The diagnostic utility of NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) was assessed utilizing several published guidelines, as well as the manufacturer’s suggested age dependent cut-off points.

Results

The area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) for NT-proBNP was 0.70. Using age-related cut points, the diagnostic accuracy of NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of CHF was below prior reports (70% vs. 83%). Age and estimated creatinine clearance correlated directly with NT-proBNP levels, while hematocrit correlated inversely. Both age > 50 years and to a lesser extent hematocrit < 30% affected the diagnostic accuracy of NT-proBNP, while renal function had no effect. In multivariate analysis, a prior history of CHF was the best predictor of current CHF, odds ratio (OR) = 45; CI: 23-88.

Conclusions

The diagnostic accuracy of NT-proBNP for the evaluation of CHF appears less robust in an elderly population with a high prevalence of prior CHF. Age and hematocrit levels, may adversely affect the diagnostic accuracy off NT-proBNP.

Keywords

Congestive Heart Failure; Natriuretic peptides; Diagnosis; Elderly Patients

The value of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in the differential diagnosis and follow-up of congestive cardiac failure and respiratory distress due to pulmonary aetiologies in infants and children

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine whether N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide can differentiate between cardiac and pulmonary aetiologies of dyspnoea, if N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide can be used for evaluating the effect of treatment in cardiac failure, and for predicting severe pulmonary diseases that are complicated by cardiac failure.

METHODS

In all, 76 children with dyspnoea were enrolled; 41 of them suffered cardiac failure - 25 caused by cardiac disease, 16 caused by pulmonary disease - and 35 had dyspnoea due to pulmonary disease. The control group consisted of 32 children. We calculated Ross scores, analysed N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels, and evaluated left ventricular systolic functions by echocardiography.

RESULTS

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels were significantly higher in children with cardiac failure than in those with pulmonary disease and in controls (medians 7321, 241, 87.71 picograms per millilitre, respectively), were higher in children with cardiac failure due to pulmonary disease than in those with only pulmonary disease (medians 2728, 241 picograms per millilitre, respectively), and were higher in children who died from cardiac failure than in survivors (p < 0.05). After treatment of cardiac failure, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels decreased significantly (p < 0.001). The cut-off level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide for differentiating cardiac failure from pulmonary disease was 726.8 picograms per millilitre, sensitivity 100%, specificity 94.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels can differentiate dyspnoea due to cardiac failure from pulmonary diseases. It can also be used to monitor the effects of treatment of cardiac failure and to estimate the prognosis, as well as to predict pulmonary diseases that are complicated with cardiac failure.

New York Heart Association class versus amino-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide for acute heart failure prognosis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of the New York Heart Association classification (NYHAC) in acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the relative value of NYHAC among patients with concomitantly measured amino-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at presentation with ADHF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

NYHAC was determined for 720 patients with ADHF and 1-year mortality status was examined. Cox-proportional hazards analysis compared the prognostic accuracy of NYHAC with other ADHF risk measures.

RESULTS

NYHAC had a significant univariate association with 1-year mortality status (HR 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.94; p = 0.03) but was not a significant predictor of death in a multivariable model that included NT-proBNP (HR 2.14; 95% CI 1.65-2.81, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to objective measures such as NT-proBNP, the NYHAC appears to provide limited prognostic information among individuals with ADHF.