N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide-guided treatment for chronic heart failure: results from the BATTLESCARRED (NT-proBNP-Assisted Treatment To Lessen Serial Cardiac Readmissions and Death) trial

What Was Tested

Researchers studied BNP (Nesiritide) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)-guided therapy with those of intensive clinical management and with usual care (UC) on clinical outcomes in chronic symptomatic heart failure.

Why It Was Studied

Accordingly, the researchers conducted a longer-term study comparing the effects of NT-proBNP-guided therapy with those of intensive clinical management and with UC of patients with heart failure.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

Three hundred sixty-four patients admitted to a single hospital with heart failure were randomly allocated 1:1:1 (stratified by age) to therapy guided by NT-proBNP levels or by intensive clinical management, or according to UC.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the BNP (Nesiritide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Age Factors, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Diuretics, Heart Failure, Natriuretic Peptide, Brain and Patient Readmission.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of BNP (Nesiritide).

Its findings take up roughly 5 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2009 (Journal of the American College of Cardiology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the BNP (Nesiritide) compound page, all human trials.