Biomarker predicts which patients with heart failure have a higher risk of dying within 1 to 3 years

FINDINGS A UCLA-led study revealed a new way to predict which patients with "stable" heart failure — 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. BACKGROUND. About half of people 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.