June 19, 2007 - A study published today in Circulation shows that the use of NT-proBNP (N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide), a biomarker by Roche Diagnostics for suspected heart failure (HF), reduced emergency department (ED) visits by 21 percent.
The multi-center trial, which included 500 patients and seven hospitals, also showed that NT-proBNP guided strategy in the management of suspected acute HF in the ED lowered the number of patients re-hospitalized over 60 days by 35 percent, and trimmed direct medical costs of all ED visits, hospitalizations and subsequent outpatient services by 15 percent over 60 days from enrollment.
NT-proBNP and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been shown to provide incremental value in the rapid diagnosis of HF in the emergency room. Due to its greater stability, NT-proBNP may represent a more useful diagnostic marker than BNP for cardiovascular disorders including HF.
“An approach using NT-proBNP in conjunction with clinical assessment improves the overall management of patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected acute HF through the facilitation of diagnosis, and provides health cost savings that are accompanied by an improvement in selected clinical outcomes,” said Gordon W. Moe, M.D., a cardiologist and director of the heart failure program and biomarker laboratory at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada, who chaired the study.
For more information: www.roche.com
August 05, 2019 
