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

Which method is best for an early accurate diagnosis of acute heart failure? Comparison between lung ultrasound, chest X-ray and NT pro-BNP performance: a prospective study

Acute heart failure is a common condition among adults presenting with dyspnea in the Emergency Department (ED), still the diagnosis is challenging as objective standardized criteria are lacking. First line work-up, other then clinical findings, is nowadays made with lung ultrasound imaging study, chest X-ray study and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level determination; however, it is not clear which is the best diagnostic test to be used and whether there is any real benefit for clinical judgement. We set up this study to compare the performances of these three diagnostic tools; furthermore, we combined them to find the best possible approach to dyspneic patients. This is a prospective observational study based in the ED. We enrolled adults presenting with dyspnea not trauma-related, they underwent lung ultrasound, and chest X-ray studies, and NT pro-BNP level determination. Then we compared the results with the diagnosis of acute heart failure established by an independent panel of experts. 236 patients were enrolled in the study. We find sensitivity and specificity for lung ultrasound of 57.73 and 87.97 %, for chest X-ray 74.49 and 86.26 %, for NT pro-BNP 97.59 and 27.56 %, respectively. Combining together the chest X-ray and lung ultrasound, we find the best overall performance with 84.69 % sensitivity, 77.69 % specificity and 87.07 % negative predictive value. From our results, we could not identify the "best test" to diagnose acute heart failure in an emergency setting, although we could suggest that a stepwise workup combining chest X-ray and lung ultrasound at first, then for those negative, a determination of NT pro-BNP assay would be a reasonable approach to the dyspneic patient.

Clinical Research on Brain Natriuretic Peptide Guiding the Application of β1 Receptor Blocker in Patients with Moderate to Severe Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of guiding the application of metoprolol succinate in patients with moderate to severe heart failure (HF) through monitoring plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.

METHODS

A total of 195 patients with moderate to severe HF (NYHA Functional Class III to IV) were selected and randomized into two groups: an observation group and a BNP group. The groups were established to observe the clinical conditions and establish plasma BNP levels to guide the application of metoprolol succinate. The average start-up of metoprolol succinate and average dose of metoprolol succinate after one month, as well as the recurrence rate and mortality of HF during hospital stay were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Start-up of metoprolol succinate was shorter in the BNP group than in the observation group [(5.89 ± 1.76) d vs. (7.03 ± 2.08) d, p < 0.01], but no significant differences in recurrence rate (26.60% vs. 23.91%, p > 0.05) and mortality (6.38% vs. 5.43%, p > 0.05) of HF were observed between the two groups. The average dose of metoprolol succinate after one month was higher in the BNP group compared with that of the observation group [(47.65 ± 13.09) mg/d vs. (35.08 ± 11.08) mg/d, p < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONS

Although monitoring plasma BNP might have limited the clinical impact on the change of left ventricular ejection fraction, recurrence of HF or mortality within 1 month, it could safely facilitate early use and up-titration of the metoprolol succinate in patients with moderate to severe HF.

KEY WORDS

BNP; Heart failure; β receptor blocker.

Old and new tools to assess dyspnea in the hospitalized patient

In the assessment of dyspnea one has to take into account both the patient's own experience of the symptom and the clinicians observations of breathing rates, sounds and effort to get a complete picture. In addition, to choose appropriate treatment, the underlying cause of dyspnea needs to be assessed. While tools for clinical evaluation of heart failure have gained great interest in research and found a place in guidelines and clinical practice, the same cannot be said for instruments to assess patient self-reported dyspnea. To date, no specific dyspnea rating tool has been recommend over another. Reports from clinical practice are lacking and large; international studies in this field are warranted.

Biomarkers in congenital heart disease: do natriuretic peptides hold the key?

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital abnormality. The long-term prognosis of these patients has changed significantly over the last half century, thanks to improvements in cardiovascular diagnosis, surgery and postoperative care. However, residual lesions are not uncommon and many of the interventions performed remain palliative rather than reparative, leading to the development of ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. Natriuretic peptides are well-established markers of disease severity and prognosis in patients with heart failure due to noncongenital (acquired) heart disease. However, the role of biomarkers in congenital heart disease is unclear. This review highlights the impact of neurohormonal activation in patients with congenital heart disease, as well as the usefulness of assessing natriuretic peptide levels in specific clinical situations.

Cardiac fibroblasts, fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodeling in heart disease

Fibroblasts comprise the largest cell population in the myocardium. In heart disease, the number of fibroblasts is increased either by replication of the resident myocardial fibroblasts, migration and transformation of circulating bone marrow cells, or by transformation of endothelial/epithelial cells into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. The primary function of fibroblasts is to produce structural proteins that comprise the extracellular matrix (ECM). This can be a constructive process; however, hyperactivity of cardiac fibroblasts can result in excess production and deposition of ECM proteins in the myocardium, known as fibrosis, with adverse effects on cardiac structure and function. In addition to being the primary source of ECM proteins, fibroblasts produce a number of cytokines, peptides, and enzymes among which matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), directly impact the ECM turnover and homeostasis. Function of fibroblasts can also in turn be regulated by MMPs and TIMPs. In this review article, we will focus on the function of cardiac fibroblasts in the context of ECM formation, homeostasis and remodeling in the heart. We will discuss the origins and multiple roles of cardiac fibroblasts in myocardial remodeling in different types of heart disease in patients and in animal models. We will further provide an overview of what we have learned from experimental animal models and genetically modified mice with altered expression of ECM regulatory proteins, MMPs and TIMPs.

Cardiac biomarkers: new tools for heart failure management

The last decade has seen exciting advances in the field of biomarkers used in managing patients with heart failure (HF). Biomarker research has broadened our knowledge base, shedding more light on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms occurring in patients with both acute and chronic HF. The criterion required by an ideal cardiovascular biomarker has been progressively changing to an era of sensitive assays that can be used to guide treatment. Recent technological advances have made it possible to rapidly measure even minute amounts of these proteins by means of higher sensitivity assays. With a high prevalence of comorbidities associated with HF, an integrated approach utilizing multiple biomarkers have shown promise in predicting mortality, better risk stratification and reducing re-hospitalizations, thus lowering health-care costs. This review provides a brief insight into recent advances in the field of biomarkers currently used in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with acute and chronic HF.