Neuropeptide Y Can Be Used As A Biomarker To Predict Heart Failure Patients Risk Of Dying Within 1 To 3 Years
Source: Thailand Medical News Dec 28, 2019 6 years, 2 months, 4 hours, 50 minutes ago
A new study by researchers from University Of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) revealed a new way to predict which patients with "stable"
heart failure ie those who have heart injury but do not require hospitalization, have a higher risk of dying within one to three years. Although people with stable
heart failure have similar characteristics, some have rapid disease progression while others remain stable. The research shows that patients who have higher levels of
neuropeptide Y, a molecule released by the nervous system, are 10 times more likely to die within one to three years than those with lower levels of
neuropeptides.
Almost 50 percent of individuals who develop
heart failure die within five years of their diagnosis, according to an American
Heart Association report, but it hasn't been understood why some live longer than others despite receiving the same medications and medical device therapy. The researchers set out to determine whether a
biomarker of the nervous system could help explain the difference. To date, no other
biomarker has been identified that can so specifically predict the risk of death for people with stable
heart failure.
The medical researchers analyzed blood from 105 patients with stable
heart failure, searching for a distinct
biomarker in the blood that could predict how likely a person would be to die within a few years. They found that
neuropeptide Y levels were the clearest and most significant predictor.
The researchers also compared nerve tissue samples from patients with samples from healthy donors and determined that the neurons in the people who were at most at risk for dying from
heart failure were likely releasing higher levels of
neuropeptides.
The study results could give scientists a way to distinguish very-high-risk patients with stable
heart failure from others with the same condition, which could inform which patients might require more aggressive and targeted therapies. The study also highlights the need for
heart failure therapies that target the nervous system.
Detailed studies could help determine whether a patient's risk for death can be ascertained through less invasive measures, such as a simple blood draw, and whether early aggressive intervention in these people could reduce their risk of death.
A source from the university told
Thailand Medical News that a newer and simpler
diagnostic test for
neuropeptide Y has already been developed and is pending regulatory approvals for commercial use in the
medical industry.
Reference : Olujimi
A. Ajijola et al. Coronary Sinus Neuropeptide Y Levels and Adverse Outcomes in Patients With Stable Chronic Heart Failure, JAMA Cardiology (2019). DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4717 
