Effect of Integrated, Person-Centred Palliative Advanced Home and Heart Failure Care on NT-proBNP Levels : A Substudy of the PREFER Study

• Objective: In 2012, we initiated a new person-centred model, integrated Palliative advanced home caRE and heart FailurE caRe (PREFER), to integrate specialised palliative home care with heart failure care. Natriuretic peptide-guided treatment is valuable for younger patients (age < 75 years), but its usefulness in palliative care is uncertain. We explored whether patients in PREFER reduced mean level of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) more than the control group.Design: A pre-specified, exploratory substudy, analysed within the prospective, randomised PREFER study, which had an open, non-blinded design.Participants: Patients in palliative care with chronic heart failure, New York Heart Association class III-IV were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 36; 26 males, 10 females, mean age: 81.9 years) or control group (n = 36; 25 males, 11 females, mean age:76.5 years). The intervention group received the PREFER intervention for 6 months. The control group received care as usual at a primary health care centre or heart failure clinic at the hospital. NT-proBNP was measured at the start and end of study.Results: Plasma levels of NT-proBNP differed significantly between groups at baseline. By the end of the study, no significant difference was found between the groups. The mean value for NT-proBNP decreased by 35% in the PREFER group but was not statistically significant (P = 0.074); NT-proBNP increased 4% in the control group.Conclusions: We found no statistically significant reductions of NT-proBNP levels neither between nor within the PREFER and the control group at the end of the study.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Chronic Heart Failure

Palliative Care

Integrated Care

NT-proBNP

Elderly

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)