Januzzi JL, Tan X, Yang L, et al. - Findings revealed that N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) testing was not frequently received by heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients in the US clinical practice. NT-proBNP levels differed across data sources and subpopulations within HFrEF.

• In this retrospective cohort study using two US databases, adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HFrEF were included.

• NT-proBNP testing was received by 9.2% of patients with HFrEF and 10.8% of patients with a worsening heart failure event (WHFE), in cohort 1 (n = 249 238).

• In Cohort 2 (n = 91 444), 2.3% of HFrEF cases were examined, and median (interquartile range) NT-proBNP levels in HFrEF were 1399 (423–4087) pg/mL in Cohort 1 and 394 (142–688) pg/mL in Cohort 2.

• In each cohort, median (interquartile range) NT-proBNP levels in WHFE were 2209 (740–5894) and 464 (174–783) pg/mL, respectively.

• Cohort 1 had NT-proBNP values >8000 pg/mL in 13.4% of all HFrEF patients receiving NT-proBNP testing and in 18.9% of patients with a WHFE; these percentages in Cohort 2 were 1.0% and 2.5%, respectively.