GUIDE-IT NT-proBNP-Guided Therapy Algorithm
- GUIDE-IT NT-proBNP-Guided Therapy Algorithm: Practical explanation and clinical context
The GUIDE-IT (Guiding Evidence Based Therapy Using Biomarker Intensified Treatment in Heart Failure) strategy used serial NT-proBNP measurements to target a predefined goal (NT-proBNP < 1,000 pg/mL) and prompted more aggressive titration of guideline-directed medical therapy when values exceeded that threshold. The practical intention is to use NT-proBNP as an objective biomarker of haemodynamic stress and treatment response: rising or persistently elevated NT-proBNP suggests incomplete decongestion or suboptimal uptitration of disease-modifying therapy, whereas falling NT-proBNP generally indicates treatment response.
However, the GUIDE-IT randomized trial (the largest to test this strategy) did not show superiority of an NT-proBNP–guided strategy compared with usual care for the composite primary endpoint (heart-failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death). Importantly, in GUIDE-IT both arms received frequent follow-up and care was overall robust; patients in usual care experienced NT-proBNP reductions similar to the guided arm, which likely contributed to the neutral result. Therefore NT-proBNP should be used as an adjunctive monitoring and titration tool, interpreted together with the clinical exam, symptoms, congestion status, renal function, electrolytes, and blood pressure tolerance when making management decisions.
In routine use, consider the following practical steps: 1) define a local NT-proBNP target (GUIDE-IT used <1,000 pg/mL for high-risk HFrEF patients), 2) if NT-proBNP is above target and the patient is symptomatic or congested, prioritize diuretic optimization and address reversible causes; 3) where tolerated, up-titrate ACEi/ARB/ARNI, beta-blocker, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist toward guideline target doses; 4) repeat NT-proBNP after a reasonable interval (often 6–12 weeks) to assess response; 5) prioritize specialist referral when maximal tolerated therapy cannot be achieved or when NT-proBNP remains high despite optimization.
Reference:
Felker GM, Anstrom KJ, Adams KF, et al. Guiding Evidence Based Therapy Using Biomarker Intensified Treatment in Heart Failure (GUIDE-IT) — rationale and design (protocol) and primary results summary; see the NHLBI Biologic Specimen and Data Repository (BioLINCC) for protocol and trial materials.
Felker GM, et al. GUIDE-IT primary results (published summary indexed on PubMed).
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