Blood tests may help identify people most at risk of dying from heart failure, a new study has found. The study, which we funded, found that patients with the highest levels of a protein called neuropeptide Y (NPY) were more likely to die from cardiac complications over the three-year period in which the study was conducted, compared to those with lower levels. They were found to be 50% more likely to have sex. .

Testing for NPY can help predict how heart failure will progress, and researchers hope the blood test could help guide treatment for heart failure patients within five years.

Over 1 million people

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood around the body properly. It is a life-limiting disease that results in frequent hospital visits and decreased quality of life, and there is currently no cure. It is estimated that more than one million people in the UK currently live with heart failure, and around 200,000 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year.

NPY is released by nerves in the heart in response to extreme stress. This can cause a potentially dangerous heart rhythm, causing constriction of the smallest blood vessels within the heart muscle, causing the heart to work harder and causing constriction of blood vessels going to the heart.

The study, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, was led by Neil Herring, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Professor Pardeep Jund from the University of Glasgow. Data from more than 800 participants at various stages of heart failure was used, and participants had their levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone currently used to diagnose heart failure, measured. .

50% more risk

Participants’ blood pressure and echocardiograms (a type of heart ultrasound scan) were also measured and followed up regularly. The researchers adjusted for known factors that can influence the progression of heart failure, including age, kidney function, heart pumping ability, and BNP levels. Patients with high levels of NPY, who made up about one-third of study participants, had a 50% higher risk of dying from cardiac complications during the three-year follow-up period compared to those with low levels.

Participants with higher NPY levels were hospitalized less frequently than other groups during the study. Researchers suggest this is because NPY may be associated with abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

could save lives

Researchers suggest that measuring NPY in parallel with BNP may help diagnose patients with heart failure and pinpoint patients who may be at increased risk of death. Early identification of patients at highest risk also helps medical professionals decide on the best course of treatment for patients, including potentially life-saving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). It also helps identify patients who may benefit. The research team hopes that a blood test for NPY will be available for use in clinics within five years.

Next, researchers conducted a large trial using data from patients with very high NPY levels to determine which patients could benefit from receiving a potentially lifesaving ICD. We would like to see if we can accurately identify the Future research will also explore whether NPY could be used as a protein in future drugs to target heart disease patients and provide further benefits.

simple blood test

Professor Brian Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, said: “As many as one million people in the UK live with heart failure, and around 200,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. This new research shows that a new, cheap and simple blood test could help improve the future of heart failure patients. suggests that it may help to more accurately identify those at highest risk of early death.

“By measuring levels of neuropeptide Y, in the future medical professionals will be able to understand how heart failure is likely to progress in patients, especially those with high levels of neuropeptide Y who are at higher risk. Greater insight may be gained into whether patients with heart failure may benefit from additional treatments that reduce their risk. Only by funding lifesaving research like this can we continue to push the boundaries and help heart failure patients We can make sure they receive the best and most appropriate treatment so they can live a good life.”

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