N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide-guided therapy in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure. Issue 11 (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carubelli, Valentina; Lombardi, Carlo; Lazzarini, Valentina; Bonadei, Ivano; Castrini, Anna I.; Gorga, Elio; Richards, Arthur M.; Metra, Marco
• Is Part Of: Journal of cardiovascular medicine. Volume 17:Issue 11(2016:Nov.)
• Page Start: 828
• Page End: 839
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: acute heart failure -- guided therapy -- natriuretic peptides -- NT-proBNP; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Cardiovascular Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.1005
• DOI: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000000419
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1558-2027

Abstract

Abstract : Background: In patients with acute heart failure, high levels of N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at discharge are associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that NT-proBNP-guided therapy may improve prognosis. Methods and results: Two hundred and seventy-one consecutive patients, admitted for acute heart failure, were prospectively randomized to NT-proBNP-guided therapy or control group. The NT-proBNP-guided therapy group underwent medical treatment intensification when predischarge NT-proBNP was at least 3000 pg/ml. The primary endpoint was cardiovascular death or cardiovascular rehospitalization at day 182. The secondary endpoints were all-cause death, cardiovascular death, cardiovascular rehospitalization, heart failure rehospitalization, and cardiovascular death or heart failure rehospitalization at day 182. Treatment intensification in the NT-proBNP-guided therapy group regarded mainly diuretics. The NT-proBNP strategy was not associated with a significant reduction of the primary endpoint [43% intervention vs. 39% controls, hazard ratio 1.22 (0.84, 1.76), P = 0.305] and of any secondary endpoint. The change of NT-proBNP from predischarge to discharge was associated with the risk of cardiovascular death or cardiovascular rehospitalization through day 182, even after multivariable adjustment. Conclusion: NT-proBNP-guided therapy resulted mainly in an increase of diuretics in acute setting and compared with clinical evaluation alone did not improve prognosis. However, the reduction of NT-proBNP at discharge was an independent predictor of outcomes.