title: Echo and BNP serial assessment in ambulatory heart failure care: Data on loop diuretic use and renal function.
abstract: We compared the follow-up data on loop diuretic use and renal function, as assessed by serum creatinine levels, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), of two groups of consecutive ambulatory HF patients: 1) the clinically-guided group, in which management was clinically driven based on the institutional protocol of the HF Unit of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department of Pisa (standard of care) and 2) the echo and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) guided group (patients conforming to the protocol of the Network Labs Ultrasound (NEBULA) in HF Study Group: Pisa, Perugia, Pavia; Verona, Auckland, and Veruno), in which therapy was delivered according to the serial assessment of BNP and echocardiography. Patients whose follow-up was based on standard of care had a significant higher prevalence of worsening renal function, that was likely related to higher diuretic dosages, whilst, a better management of renal function was observed in the echo-BNP-guided group. The data is related to "Echo and natriuretic peptide guided therapy improves outcome and reduces worsening renal function in systolic heart failure: An observational study of 1137 outpatients" (A. Simioniuc, E. Carluccio, S. Ghio, A. Rossi, P. Biagioli, G. Reboldi, G.G. Galeotti, F. Lu, C. Zara, G. Whalley, P.G. Temporelli, F.L. Dini, 2016; K.J. Harjai, H.K. Dinshaw, E. Nunez, M. Shah, H. Thompson, T. Turgut, H.O. Ventura, 1999; A. Ahmed, A. Husain, T.E. Love, G. Gambassi, L.J. Dell׳Italia, G.S. Francis, M. Gheorghiade, R.M. Allman, S. Meleth, R.C. Bourge, 2006) [1], [2], [3].
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Frank Lloyd
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simioniuc
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Cardiology, University of Perugia, School of Medicine, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Erberto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carluccio
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Fondazione IRCCS, Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, Cardiology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Cardiology, University of Perugia, School of Medicine, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biagioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reboldi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Giacomo
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Galeotti
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zara
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Australasian Sonographers Association, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Whalley
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, IRCCS, Veruno, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Temporelli
keywords: Echocardiography; Heart failure; Loop diuretics; Natriuretic peptides; Renal function