PRIMARY-HF: Heart Failure Screening in Primary Care using Point-of-Care.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) presents a significant health burden, complicated by diagnostic challenges in primary care due to overlapping symptoms and limited resources.
• Early detection of HF is crucial to mitigate morbidity, socioeconomic impact, and improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if NT-proBNP testing, alone or with cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), enhances HF diagnosis and management in primary care.
• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of integrating NT-proBNP and POCUS in primary care settings for HF screening.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving patients aged 50+ with suspected HF or risk factors across four primary care centers.
• Participants were randomized into four arms: standard of care (SoC), SoC + NT-proBNP, SoC + NT-proBNP + POCUS, and SoC + POCUS.
• Primary outcomes included new HF diagnosis, initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy, and quality of life improvements.

Main Results:

• (Results not yet available in the provided abstract)

Conclusions:

• Integrating NT-proBNP and POCUS in primary care has the potential to improve early HF diagnosis and optimize patient therapy.
• This approach may enhance patient quality of life and reduce healthcare costs associated with delayed or incorrect HF diagnosis.
• The study could advocate for wider adoption of accessible diagnostic tools for better primary care HF management.