B-Type Natriuretic Peptides and Cardiac Troponins for Diagnosis and Risk-Stratification of Syncope

Background: The utility of B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) concentrations for diagnosis and risk-stratification of syncope is incompletely understood. Methods: We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of BNP, NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, and hs-cTnI concentrations, alone and against the ones of clinical assessments, in patients >45years presenting with syncope to the emergency department (ED) in a prospective diagnostic multicenter study. BNP, NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI concentrations were measured in a blinded fashion. Cardiac syncope, as adjudicated by two physicians based on all information available including cardiac work-up and 1-year follow-up, was the diagnostic endpoint. The EGSYS, a syncope-specific diagnostic score, served as the diagnostic comparator. Death and MACE at 30 and 720 days were the prognostic endpoints. MACE were defined as death, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, life-threatening arrhythmia, implanta...