What is the current recommendation for assessing prognosis in patients with acute decompensated heart failure?
Current recommendation emphasizes that it is admission levels of natriuretic peptide biomarkers that are useful in assessing prognosis in patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Higher levels of natriuretic peptide biomarkers on admission are usually associated with greater risk for clinical outcomes, including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, and composite outcomes, across different time intervals in patients with decompensated HF. Additionally, a predischarge natriuretic peptide level can be useful to establish a postdischarge prognosis. However, not all patients may need biomarker measurement for prognostication and an individualized approach to each patient is paramount.