Novel biomarkers in heart failure( Several new biomarkers have been rec...),Health

Several new biomarkers have been recently described in Heart Failure (HF) syndrome either in stable chronic patients as in the settings of acute decompensation. Biomarkers are used to diagnose disease risk, to predict outcome and to tailor treatment to individuals.

Speaking at a press conference at Heart Failure 2009 in Nice, France, Prof Piotr Ponikowski, spokesperson for the European Society of Cardiology, presented these new findings, namely:

• ST2 - a member of the interleukin (IL)-1 receptor family, markedly upregulated on the application of mechanical strain to cardiac myocytes; reported to be elevated in severe chronic HF, where independently predicts poor outcome; serial monitoring in acute decompensated HF may be useful for risk stratification
• ultrasensitive troponins reflecting damage/loss of cardiomyocytes; elevation in chronic HF identifies poor outcome
• advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) - molecules formed during a non-enzymatic reaction between proteins and sugar residues; there is an evidence that AGEs are related to the development and progression of HF in diabetic and non-diabetic patients;
• adrenomedullin hormone which is a potent vasodilator, with inotropic and natriuretic properties; assessment of mid-regional part of the proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM test) has been proved to add additional information on standard of care in the diagnosis of acute HF and to be useful in prognostic evaluation of these patients
• estrogens it has been recently shown that both low and high concentrations of circulating estradiol are powerful predictors of a poor prognosis in men with chronic HF; subjects with either reduced or increased concentrations of serum E2 have different clinical characteristics, suggesting that the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are not the same

"Biomarker" is a very broad term that refers to parameter reflecting or characterizing a certain biological proce
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