Numerous published studies—spanning all stages of heart failure and beyond, now encompassing more than 36,000 patients—have demonstrated that the level of ST2 in blood can best predict patient outcomes providing unparalleled utility to improve patient management.

Measuring ST2 via a simple, non-invasive blood test allows for the early identification of heart failure patients with highest risk for adverse events, re-hospitalization and mortality from those at lower risk.

ST2 levels change rapidly in response to changes in the patient’s condition—sometimes within hours—thus helping you to focus on patients requiring immediate medical attention and, if needed, to quickly adjust care.

Unlike natriuretic peptide markers, ST2 levels are not adversely affected by such factors as age, gender, BMI, atrial fibrillation, history of heart failure, anemia, and impaired renal function.

ST2 has a single cutpoint, removing any guesswork, making treatment decisions easier.

There are several ways in which results from ST2 testing can be useful in heart failure patient management including:

Knowing the Risk

With a single cutpoint, it’s easy to risk stratify heart failure patients. Studies have shown that patients with ST2 levels above 35ng/ml are at a greater risk of re-hospitalization and mortality, and further, the higher the ST2 level, the greater the risk.

Determining The Timing of Outpatient Care

Improved discharge planning for heart failure patients can greatly reduce costly hospital readmissions.

Frequency of Outpatient Visits

Unlike many other cardiac biomarkers, ST2 levels change quickly in response to changes in the patient’s condition—thus helping physicians make informed decisions on an appropriate course of action to take, and if needed, to quickly adjust treatment, improving patient outcomes and increasing the interval between patient visits.

Reducing Hospital Readmission Rates

Clinicians that use ST2 as part of a patient management program can dramatically reduce 30-day rehospitalization and mortality rates.¹

Evaluating The Many Therapeutic Options

As a prognostic tool, ST2 may help guide physicians on their treatment path: choice of drugs and appropriate dosage, lifestyle changes such as exercise programs, transition to device protocols (cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), implantable cardio defibrillators (ICD), ventricular assist devices (VAD), and even prioritization for cardiac transplantation.

Assessing Referrals and Anticipating Worsening Disease

ST2 can be used to assess which patients are at highest risk for adverse events and therefore should be referred to a specialist. In patients who have experienced an ACS event, such as an MI, an elevated ST2 concentration is a powerful predictor for progression to HF. Such information allows the physician to appropriately intervene therapeutically thus reducing this disease burden.

Evaluating Asymptomatic Patients For Risk of Developing Heart Failure

ST2 can also be used to predict the future onset of heart failure and other adverse outcomes in the general, asymptomatic, population. Studies of over 5,000 “healthy” individuals followed for over a decade show that ST2 was the most predictive of all biomarkers studied for predicting heart failure or death. CLICK HERE (Need this) for the abstract.

If You’re Interested in Conducting A Clinical Trial Involving ST2:

To find out about purchasing purchasing kits for a clinical study, please contact us at info@criticaldiagnostics.com or call +1 877.700.1250.

References

1. White Paper report, The Presage ST2 Assay is an Effective Tool to Reduce 30-Day Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions