Health is a unity and harmony within the mind, body and spirit which is unique to each person, and is as defined by that person. The level of wellness or health is, in part, determined by the ability to deal with and defend against stress. Health is determined by physiological, psychological, socio-cultural, spiritual, and developmental stage variables.
Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death
Heart Failure :: Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death
A potential new biomarker for heart failure may be more powerful than established measures in identifying patients at increased risk for death from several causes. In a report to appear in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that has received early online release, an international research team describes finding that blood levels of a protein called ST2 both indicate the presence of heart failure among patient with shortness of breath and powerfully predict the risk that a patient will die during the following year.?While we are now able to diagnose heart failure with great sensitivity using natriuretic peptide tests, we have miles to go before we can reduce the considerable risk that accompanies that diagnosis,? says James Januzzi Jr., MD, of the MGH Cardiology Division, who led the study. ?It?s highly likely that examining a patient?s pattern of several complementary biomarkers will be superior for predicting risk than using just one. If we could harness the information these biomarkers yield to better adjust therapies ? in the same way that antibiotics are chosen based on the organism causing the infection ? that would be revolutionary.?
A condition in which the heart muscle is damaged and cannot pump blood efficiently, heart failure is a major cause of cardiac death. Diagnosis has been a challenge, since the symptoms of heart failure are similar to those of many other conditions. In recent years studies from several groups, including collaborators on the current report, have identified a number of candidate biomarkers for diagnosis. In 2005, Januzzi and colleagues from the MGH published the PRIDE study, which showed that a protein called NT-proBNP, one of the natriuretic peptides, could confirm or rule out a diagnosis of heart failure in emergency room patients with shortness of breath. In addition NT-proBNP strongly predicted death among such patients.
Recent smaller studies have suggested that ST2, which appears to have a role in the inflammatory response, also may be expressed within the heart in situations involving stress to the cardiac muscle, including heart failure. To more closely examine ST2?s potential as a heart failure biomarker, the research team analyzed data and blood samples from the PRIDE study participants, almost 600 individuals who had come to the MGH Emergency Department with shortness of breath.
In this study, the single largest ST2 analysis to date, the researchers confirmed ST2 as a novel marker of heart failure, finding the highest levels among participants with the disorder. More striking, elevated ST2 levels strongly predicted the risk of death during the year after the initial hospital visit, even among patients who did not have heart failure. In fact, ST2 appeared to be a stronger predictor of death than was NT-proBNP, and a combination of both biomarkers gave the most accurate prediction for all study participants
?We have confirmed the potential importance of ST2 to predict risk. What we don?t have now is information on how ST2 changes after adequate heart failure treatment and what that tells us about patients? response to therapy,? Januzzi says. ?It?s likely that patterns of multiple biomarkers will help us identify patients with heart failure who remain at a high risk for death, even though they appear to be symptomatically improving during treatment. There are studies underway here at MGH and elsewhere investigating whether such biomarker ?fingerprints? can guide specific treatment strategies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.? Januzzi is an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at MGH.
(Heart Failure :: Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death published at SpiritIndia on Monday, August 6, 2007)
Heart Failure
Search more information on Heart Failure, Heart Failure booksRecently posted related articles on Heart Failure :
- Heart Failure :: Men with chronic heart failure can have active sex lives
- Heart Failure :: ICDs underused in women, minorities with heart failure
- Heart Failure :: Drug used for treatment for heart failure in adults may not be beneficial for children and teens
- Leukemia :: Heart failure is rare among leukemia patients on imatinib
- Heart Failure :: Rasilez, direct renin inhibitor, reduces a marker of heart failure severity
- Diabetes :: Boxed warning on heart failure risk on diabetes drug label, says FDA
- Heart Failure :: High blood pressure, low energy may cause heart failure
- Heart Failure :: Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death
- Heart :: Cause and treatment of pediatric heart failure
- Diabetes :: GlaxoSmithKline statement in diabetes care study thiazolidinediones and heart failure
Most related articles:
- Heart Failure :: Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death- Diabetes :: Diabetes triples risk of heart failure for women - 14.2
- Heart Failure :: Increases in fasting glucose raised the risk of congestive heart failure - 14.2
- Heart Disease :: Cardiac biomarker predicts risk of CVD events in patients with heart disease - 14
- Heart :: Blood test predicts cardiac events and death in heart patients - 13.6
- Diabetes :: Diabetes and Heart Failure Is Double Trouble for Older Women - 13.5
- Heart Failure :: Cardiovascular protective benefits of carvedilol in heart failure patients - 13.4
- Heart Failure :: Blood test predicts mortality in hospitalized heart failure patients - 13.3
- Heart Failure :: Obese patients fair better than lean patients when hospitalized for acute heart failure - 13.1
- Heart Failure :: Phone monitoring helps patients with chronic heart failure - 12.1
Heart Failure - recent related articles/news stories:
- Injection NRG1 may reverse heart attack damage- New CRT therapy prevents heart failure
- Merck's heart failure drug rolofylline failed
- DASH diet reduces women's risk of heart failure
- Swine Flu update for people with heart disease
»» Electronic Medical Record :: Accentia Tech bags euro 2.1 mn order in UK
«« Foot and Mouth Disease :: UK PM visits foot and mouth zone
The information provided on SpiritIndia.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. Spirit India comply with the HONcode principles for trustworthy health information.
Health, Business, Science, Sports, Entertainment, Technology
©2002-2009 SpiritIndia.com
Health, Business, Science, Sports, Entertainment, Technology
©2002-2009 SpiritIndia.com