Cystatin C–based CKD‐EPI Equations and N‐Terminal Pro‐B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide for Predicting Outcomes in Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure

ABSTRACT Background In patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), both natriuretic peptides and renal impairment predict adverse outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate the complementary prognosis role of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and the newly developed Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) equations based on cystatin C (CysC) for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation in ADHF patients. Hypothesis Renal impairment assessed by CysC‐based CKD‐EPI equations and natriuretic peptides have complementary prognostic value in ADHF patients. Methods The study included 613 consecutive patients presenting with ADHF. At admission, plasma levels of NT‐proBNP and CysC were determined. The GFR was estimated using CysC‐based CKD‐EPI equations. The primary endpoint was death from any cause and heart failure readmission. Results During the median follow‐up of 365 days (interquartile range, 227–441 days), 323 patients (0.65 %patient‐year) died or were readmitted for heart failure. After multivariate adjustment, estimated GFR 3251 pg/mL were independent predictors of adverse outcomes (P < 0.01). The combination of GFR 3251 pg/mL was associated with the highest risk of adverse outcomes. Furthermore, reclassification analyses demonstrated that use of both NT‐proBNP and CysC‐based CKD‐EPI equations resulted in improving the accuracy for adverse outcomes prediction. Conclusions In patients with ADHF, the combination of NT‐proBNP with estimated GFR using CysC‐based CKD‐EPI equations better predicts outcomes than either parameter alone and adds valuable complementary prognosis information to other established risk factors.