Monitoring Protein Among Heart Failure Patients Does Little For Outcome

The results of a recent Swiss study have found that individuals who suffer from heart disease who were monitoring a protein biomarker molecule known as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were at the same risk for heart failure as those who did not monitor the protein, which was previously thought to have offered early signs of heart failure among patients, according to the study published in a January issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers challenged the previously held notion that the BNP protein could offer early warning signs to sufferers of heart disease prior to a heart failure incident, however, the study found that the "BNP-monitored therapy guidance generally did not improve 18-month survival or quality of life over conventional symptom-guided therapy."

According to an article from HealthDay Reporter, BNP is a "protein produced by stressed heart cells, for better management of heart failure," especially among older individuals aged 60 and up, who suffer from chronic heart disease. Although the study reported that "some improvement over symptom-guided treatment was found with BNP therapy for those 60 to 74, but not for those aged 75 and older" the BNP-measurement was not found to be useful enough to prevent heart failure from occurring or providing adequate warning signs to prevent heart failure.

Heart Failure Details

Heart failure is also known as congestive heart failure (CHF) and is medically defined as a "condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs," according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Heart failure or CHF can be caused by a number of reasons, but the AHA reported the following as the most common:

• infection of the heart valves

• infection of the heart muscle

• heart defects stemming from birth such as congenital heart defects

• high blood pressure

• narrowed arteries such as coronary artery disease

• previous heart attacks or myocardial infarction

• heart valve disease

• cardiomyopathy

Medical and Prescription Dangers

There are an increasing number of heart disease factors leading to the cause of heart failure among patients. One of the more common heart-failure triggers to hit the market is that of Avandia, a type 2 diabetes drug that has been associated with multiple side effects including the onset of heart disease/heart failure among patients. The drug, from GlaxoSmithKline, was released to the public in May 1999 and has since been the subject of a number of studies that have determined the drug to be an increasing cause of heart disease.

Individuals who have suffered from the Avandia side effects including heart failure and heart disease, should consider discontinuing the drug or switching to a different type 2 diabetes medication. Consulting a physician will assist a victim in overcoming these potentially dangerous Avandia risks. Additionally, it may be wise for a patient of Avandia to contact an experienced Avandia attorney for more information on developing a Avandia class action lawsuit, which may result in a victim earning monetary compensation for the damages incurred.