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Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 10, 2025
Biomarkers: optimizing treatment guidance in heart failure
Michael Böhm1, Adriaan A Voors, Jean-Marie Ketelslegers
1Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany. michael.boehm@uniklinikum-saarland.de
Summary
Biomarkers, including natriuretic peptides and inflammatory markers, are crucial for diagnosing and managing heart failure. While their risk-indicating utility is clear, more research is needed to confirm if biomarker-guided treatment improves patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical science
- Cardiology
- Clinical diagnostics
Background:
- Heart failure is a complex syndrome influenced by genetic, neurohormonal, inflammatory, and biochemical factors.
- Biomarkers play a role in heart failure pathogenesis and can serve as risk factors if therapeutically modifiable.
- Current understanding of heart failure often overlooks the intricate interplay of these contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical relevance of various biomarkers in heart failure diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapy.
- To explore the potential of biomarkers in guiding targeted treatment strategies for improved patient outcomes.
- To discuss future directions in biomarker research and application for personalized heart failure management.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on heart failure biomarkers.
- Analysis of clinical utility of specific biomarkers such as BNP, NT-proBNP, hsCRP, aldosterone, cystatin C, and galectin-3.
- Discussion of therapeutic implications and future research avenues.
Main Results:
- Several biomarkers, including brain natriuretic peptides, inflammatory markers, neurohormones, and cardiorenal markers, have established clinical relevance in heart failure.
- While biomarkers effectively indicate risk, evidence for improved outcomes with biomarker-guided therapy compared to generalized treatment is less robust.
- Aldosterone blockade is an example of an intervention impacting multiple biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Biomarkers are evolving into a valuable component of the diagnostic and therapeutic toolkit for heart failure.
- Further research is needed to validate the impact of biomarker-guided treatment on clinical outcomes.
- Future advancements may involve multi-biomarker analysis platforms for personalized heart failure therapy.
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These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...