Change in cardiac biomarkers and risk of incident heart failure and atrial fibrillation in chronic kidney disease: the CRIC Study

Patients with chronic kidney disease are at higher risk of developing heart failure and atrial fibrillation for reasons that are not completely understood. Cardiac biomarkers measured in the blood may provide insight into possible mechanisms that contribute to the higher risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. In this study we examined changes in cardiac biomarkers over time and their association with development of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. We found that increases over two years in two of these cardiac biomarkers (NT-proBNP and sST2) were significantly associated with higher risk of heart failure; and increases in sST2 were associated with higher risk of atrial fibrillation.