Skip Navigation



European Heart Journal Advance Access published online on November 18, 2005
European Heart Journal, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehi657
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (Rapid PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
27/4/447    most recent
ehi657v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Thackray, S. D.R.
Right arrow Articles by Cleland, J. G.F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Thackray, S. D.R.
Right arrow Articles by Cleland, J. G.F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

European Heart Journal © The European Society of Cardiology 2005; all rights reserved
Received November 11, 2004
Revised October 11, 2005
Accepted October 27, 2005

Clinical research

N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide as a screening tool for heart failure in the pacemaker population

Simon D.R. Thackray 1 *, Klaus Witte 1, Justin Ghosh 1, Nikolay Nikitin 1, Anne Anderson 1, Alan Rigby 1, Kevin Goode 1, Andrew L. Clark 1, and John G.F. Cleland 1

1 Department of Academic Cardiology, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Kingston-upon-Hull, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Simon D.R. Thackray, E-mail: simonthackray{at}hotmail.com


  Abstract

Aims Assessment of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-BNP) as a screening tool for heart failure in patients with a permanent pacemaker.

Methods and results Consecutive patients undergoing a routine permanent pacemaker assessment were enrolled. Patients underwent medical history and examination, echocardiography and blood sampling for NT-BNP. Analysis was performed on 261 patients (132 DDD, 121 VVI, eight others), mean age 73 ± 12 years, range 34-99 years. Seventy two subjects (27%) had heart failure as defined by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)  ≤ 40% and symptoms of heart failure (NYHA class II, III, or IV). Screening with NT-BNP gave a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 72% for detecting heart failure in all patients [area under the curve (AUC) 0.76, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.69-0.83]. This increased in subjects with a DDD type pacemaker (sensitivity 80%, specificity 66%, AUC = 0.8, CI 0.7-0.90) and reduced in subjects with a VVI type pacemaker (sensitivity 66%, specificity 61%, AUC 0.68 CI 0.57-0.78).

Conclusion Symptoms of heart failure are common in patients with pacemakers. Screening with NT-BNP is feasible and assists in the detection of important cardiac co-morbidity, particularly in patients with a DDD type pacemaker.

Keywords: Pacemaker; Heart failure; Screening; NT-BNP.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.