Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of measuring plasma concentrations of B type natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in an unselected group of elderly people. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: General practice with four centres in Poole, Dorset. PAR...
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Format: | Journal article |
Language: | English |
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2000
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author | Smith, H Pickering, R Struthers, A Simpson, I Mant, D |
author_facet | Smith, H Pickering, R Struthers, A Simpson, I Mant, D |
author_sort | Smith, H |
collection | OXFORD |
description | OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of measuring plasma concentrations of B type natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in an unselected group of elderly people. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: General practice with four centres in Poole, Dorset. PARTICIPANTS: 155 elderly patients aged 70 to 84 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic characteristics of plasma B type natriuretic peptide measured by radioimmunoassay as a test for left ventricular systolic dysfunction assessed by echocardiography. RESULTS: The median plasma concentration of B type natriuretic peptide was 39.3 pmol/l in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and 15.8 pmol/l in those with normal function. The proportional area under the receiver operator curve was 0.85. At a cut-off point of 18.7 pmol/l the test sensitivity was 92% and the predictive value 18%. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma concentration of B type natriuretic peptide could be used effectively as an initial test in a community screening programme and, possibly, using a low cut-off point, as a means of ruling out left ventricular systolic dysfunction. It is, however, not a good test to "rule in" the diagnosis, and access to echocardiography remains essential for general practitioners to diagnose heart failure early. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:00:22Z |
format | Journal article |
id | oxford-uuid:ff88eeae-2d36-498f-b9cb-2864497b4a5c |
institution | University of Oxford |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:00:22Z |
publishDate | 2000 |
record_format | dspace |
spelling | oxford-uuid:ff88eeae-2d36-498f-b9cb-2864497b4a5c2022-03-27T13:45:41ZBiochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ff88eeae-2d36-498f-b9cb-2864497b4a5cEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2000Smith, HPickering, RStruthers, ASimpson, IMant, DOBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of measuring plasma concentrations of B type natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in an unselected group of elderly people. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: General practice with four centres in Poole, Dorset. PARTICIPANTS: 155 elderly patients aged 70 to 84 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic characteristics of plasma B type natriuretic peptide measured by radioimmunoassay as a test for left ventricular systolic dysfunction assessed by echocardiography. RESULTS: The median plasma concentration of B type natriuretic peptide was 39.3 pmol/l in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and 15.8 pmol/l in those with normal function. The proportional area under the receiver operator curve was 0.85. At a cut-off point of 18.7 pmol/l the test sensitivity was 92% and the predictive value 18%. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma concentration of B type natriuretic peptide could be used effectively as an initial test in a community screening programme and, possibly, using a low cut-off point, as a means of ruling out left ventricular systolic dysfunction. It is, however, not a good test to "rule in" the diagnosis, and access to echocardiography remains essential for general practitioners to diagnose heart failure early. |
spellingShingle | Smith, H Pickering, R Struthers, A Simpson, I Mant, D Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title | Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title_full | Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title_fullStr | Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title_full_unstemmed | Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title_short | Biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice: observational study. |
title_sort | biochemical diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients in general practice observational study |
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