BOSTON - August 6, 2007 - A potential new biomarker for heart failure may be more powerful than established measures in identifying patients at increased risk for death from several causes. In a report to appear in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that has received early online release, an international research team describes finding that blood levels of a protein called ST2 both indicate the presence of heart failure among patient with shortness of breath and powerfully predict the risk that a patient will die during the following year. Improved understanding of how ST2 and other biomarkers reflect aspects of the heart’s hormonal environment someday may allow clinicians to develop more effective, individualized treatment plans.
