What did the committee agree to do with regards to NT-proBNP testing for patients with suspected heart failure?
The committee agreed to remove a recommendation from the 2010 guideline suggesting that a serum natriuretic peptide test should be considered when heart failure is still suspected after transthoracic Doppler 2D echocardiography has shown a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The committee recalled that this recommendation was made to inform an individual's prognosis from the NT-proBNP level. However, the committee noted that according to these recommendations, and the removal of the different diagnostic pathway for those with previous MI, all patients should receive an NT-proBNP level and therefore this recommendation was no longer necessary.