Preventing heart failure via screening of NP levels

STOP HF/STOP HF Midlands is a service aimed at preventing heart failure.¹ It is based on a trial conducted in Dublin, which reduced new-onset heart failure and hospital admission for other major cardiovascular events.²

STOP HF/STOP HF Midlands, which is supported by HeartBeat Trust, is available at St Michael’s Hospital in Dun Laoghaire and certain general practices in the Midlands region.³ It consists of community-based screening for NP levels to identify people with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction, which may lead to heart failure.² If this is suspected, the person is then referred for additional tests and, if their diagnosis is validated, appropriate management is initiated or their current medication adjusted to attempt to prevent progression to heart failure.^{1 2} The service has been shown to prevent one cardiovascular hospitalisation per year for every 125 people enrolled. It is estimated that rolling out the service across Ireland could prevent 17,250 admissions per year, which may be equivalent to 138,000 bed days.³

References

1. Health Service Executive. 2018. Heart failure: Programme progress. Available from: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/heart-failure/achievements/ [Accessed 15/05/20]
2. Ledwidge M, Gallagher J, Conlon C, et al. 2013. Natriuretic Peptide–Based Screening and Collaborative Care for Heart Failure: The STOP-HF Randomized Trial. JAMA 310(1): 66-74
3. Health Research Board. 2017. Stopping Heart Failure – More than 3,000 people benefit as result of Irish led trial. Available from: https://www.hrb.ie/news/press-releases/single-press-release/article/stopping-heart-failure-more-than-3000-people-benefit-as-result-of-irish-led-trial/ [Accessed 09/09/20]