title: Prognostic threshold levels of NT-proBNP testing in primary care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic heart failure (HF) is a common condition with a poor prognosis. As delayed diagnosis and treatment of HF patients in primary care can be detrimental, risk-stratified waiting lists for echocardiography might optimize resource utilization. We investigated whether a prognostic threshold level of the cardiac peptide, NT-proBNP, could be identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2003-2005, 5875 primary care patients with suspected HF (median age 73 years) had NT-proBNP analysed in the Copenhagen area. Eighteen percent died and 20% had a cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization (median follow-up time: 1127 and 1038 days, respectively). In Cox proportional hazards regression models regarding NT-proBNP levels, the fourth decile (range: 83-118 pg/mL) was associated with a 90% (95% CI: 30-190, P < 0.01) increased risk for CV hospitalization and the seventh decile (range: 229-363 pg/mL) was associated with an 80% (95% CI: 20-190, P = 0.01) increased mortality risk after adjustment for age, sex, previous hospitalization, CV diseases, and chronic diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified prognostic threshold levels for mortality and CV hospitalization for NT-proBNP in primary care patients suspected of HF. Our results have the potential to be used to risk-stratify waiting lists for echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Frederiksberg University Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schou
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Badskjaer
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain