Publications (45) View all
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Article: COST-UTILITY ANALYSIS OF NT-PROBNP-GUIDED MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE.
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ABSTRACT: Objectives: A recent randomized, controlled trial in chronic heart failure patients showed that NT-proBNP-guided, intensive patient management (BMC) on top of multidisciplinary care reduced all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalizations compared with multidisciplinary care (MC) or usual care (UC). We now performed a cost-utility analysis of these interventions from a payer's perspective. Methods: Costs related to hospitalizations, ambulatory physician and nurse visits, and NT-proBNP testing for the three management strategies were acquired for both Austria (€) and Canada ($) and combined with the survival and quality of life data from the clinical trial for cost-effectiveness analysis. Data on long-term survival, costs, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) were extrapolated for a 20-year time horizon using a Markov model, which simulated the progression of disease through beta-blocker use, hospitalizations, and mortality. Results: BMC was the most cost-effective strategy as it was dominant (cost-saving with improved health outcome) over both MC and UC based on both Austrian and Canadian costs. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for MC relative to UC were €3,746 and $5,554 per QALY gained for Austrian and Canadian costs, respectively. The probabilities for BMC being the most cost-effective strategy were 92 percent at a threshold value of Austrian €40,000 and 93 percent at a threshold value of Canadian $50,000. Conclusions: NT-proBNP-guided, intensive HF patient management in addition to multidisciplinary care not only reduces death and hospitalization but also proves to be cost-effective.International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 12/2012; · 1.37 Impact Factor -
Article: A multi-biomarker risk score improves prediction of long-term mortality in patients with advanced heart failure.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Accurate risk prediction is important for an adequate management of heart failure (HF) patients. We assessed the incremental prognostic ability of a multi-biomarker approach in advanced HF. METHODS: In 349 patients with advanced HF (median 75years, 66% male) we investigated the incremental prognostic value of 12 novel biomarkers involved in different pathophysiological pathways including inflammation, immunological activation, oxidative stress, cell growth, remodeling, angiogenesis and apoptosis. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.9years 55.9% of patients died. Using multivariable Cox regression and bootstrap variable-selection age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the following 5 novel biomarkers were retained in the best mortality prediction model: the chemokine fractalkine, the angiogenic and mitogenic hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), the growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) influencing cardiac remodeling and apoptosis, and the 2 pro-apoptotic molecules soluble apoptosis-stimulating fragment (sFAS) and soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL). This multi-biomarker score had strong discriminatory power for 5-year mortality (area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve [AUC]=0.81) and improved risk prediction beyond the prognostic power of a comprehensive conventional risk score including known clinical predictors and NT-proBNP (AUC=0.77). Net reclassification confirmed a significant improvement of individual risk prediction (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Risk prediction by a multi-biomarker score is superior to a conventional risk score including clinical parameters and NT-proBNP. Additional predictive information from different biological pathways reflects the multisystemic character of HF.International journal of cardiology 12/2012; · 7.08 Impact Factor -
Article: Needle image plates compared to conventional CR in chest radiography: Is dose reduction possible?
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ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: To compare image quality of standard-dose computed radiography and dose reduced needle-technology CR for supine CXR in a clinical setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 128 radiographs of 32 immunocompromised patients. For each patient four clinical CXR were performed within one week, two with powder image plates (PIP; Fuji ST-V) and two with needle image plates (NIP; Agfa DXS) at standard and half dose, respectively. One experienced radiologist and two residents blinded to dose level and kind of imaging system rated different anatomical structures, image noise, tubes/lines and abnormalities on a image quality scale from 1 to 10 (1=poor, 10=excellent). The rating scores were tested for statistical differences using analysis of variance with repeated measures. RESULTS: A statistical difference (p<0.05) was found for the two systems as well as for the two dose levels. Overall rating scores were 6.5 for PIP with full dose, 6.2 for PIP with half dose, 7.6 for NIP with full dose and 7.4 for NIP with half dose. There was a significant difference in favour of the NIP system at the same dose level. Also the NIP images obtained at half dose were ranked significantly better compared to the PIP images at standard dose. The differences in ranking of anatomical structures and abnormalities were more pronounced in low absorption areas (pulmonary vessels, parenchyma) than in high absorption areas (mediastinum, spine). CONCLUSION: For supine chest radiograms the NIP technology allows for a dose reduction of 50% while providing higher image quality.European journal of radiology 07/2011; · 2.65 Impact Factor -
Article: Hepatocyte growth factor is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with advanced heart failure.
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ABSTRACT: To assess the prognostic value of the mitogenic, antiapoptotic, angiogenic and antifibrotic hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in heart failure (HF). Prospective cohort study. Assessment of HGF levels at inclusion in 351 patients with advanced HF (median 75 years, interquartile range (IQR) 63-82, 66% male). All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality. During a median follow-up of 16 months, 26% of patients died. HGF tertiles were associated with an increasing risk for all-cause mortality (p < 0.001) with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69 to 5.53) for the third compared with the first tertile. This association remained significant after multivariable adjustment for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and other risk factors (p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis revealed that HGF was a strong predictor of the secondary end point cardiovascular mortality in ischaemic HF (p = 0.009) with an adjusted HR of 6.2 (95% CI 1.76 to 21.8) comparing the third with the first tertile but not in non-ischaemic HF (HR = 1.47, 95% CI 0.48 to 4.49, p = 0.5). Patients with high HGF but low BNP had a comparable survival rate to those with elevated BNP but low HGF (p=0.66). Of note, the dose of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors inversely correlated with HGF concentrations (r = -0.25, p < 0.001). HGF is a strong and independent predictor of mortality in advanced HF and, in particular, in ischaemic HF. These results indicate that HGF with its multiple effects on myocardial function exerts an overall deleterious effect in advanced HF. HGF may be of special interest for risk prediction and tailoring of HF treatment.Heart (British Cardiac Society) 07/2011; 97(14):1158-63. · 4.22 Impact Factor -
Article: Dose-dependent effects of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids on systolic left ventricular function, endothelial function, and markers of inflammation in chronic heart failure of nonischemic origin: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-arm study.
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ABSTRACT: Supplementation with 1 g/d omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFAs) demonstrated a small survival advantage in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in the GISSI-HF trial. However, a dose-efficacy relationship was postulated for the beneficial effects of n3-PUFA before. Therefore, we evaluated dose-dependent effects of n3-PUFA in patients with severe CHF. In a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot trial, 43 patients with severe, nonischemic heart failure received 1 g/d n3-PUFA (n = 14), 4 g/d n3-PUFA (n = 13), or placebo (n = 16) for 3 months. Changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), flow-mediated vasodilation, plasma high-sensitive interleukin 6 and high-sensitive tumor necrosis factor α, and exercise peak oxygen consumption were assessed. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased in a dose-dependent manner (P = .01 for linear trend) in the 4 (baseline vs 3 months [mean ± SD]: 24% ± 7% vs 29% ± 8%, P = .005) and 1 g/d treatment groups (24% ± 8% vs 27% ± 8%, P = .02). Flow-mediated vasodilation increased significantly with high-dose 4 g/d n3-PUFA (8.4% ± 4.8% vs 11.6% ± 7.0%, P = .01) but only trendwise with low-dose 1 g/d (8.3% ± 5.3% vs 10.2% ± 4.3%, P = .07). Interleukin 6 significantly decreased with 4 g/d n3-PUFA (3.0 ± 2.9 pg/mL vs 0.7 ± 0.8 pg/mL, P = .03) but only trendwise with 1 g/d (4.5 ± 6.6 pg/mL to 1.6 ± 2.1 pg/mL, P = .1). High-sensitive tumor necrosis factor α decreased trendwise with 4 g/d n3-PUFA but remained unchanged with 1 g/d. In patients with maximal exercise effort, only 4 g/d increased the peak oxygen consumption. No changes in any investigated parameters were noted with placebo. Treatment with n3-PUFA for 3 months exerts a dose-dependent increase of LVEF in patients with CHF. In parallel, a significant improvement of endothelial function and decrease of interleukin 6 is found with high-dose n3-PUFA intervention.American heart journal 05/2011; 161(5):915.e1-9. · 4.65 Impact Factor
