Table 3.1.

BNP screening to guide the primary prevention strategy for diabetes mellitus

	Study design and intervention	Study population	N without prior HF	Hospitalizations for HF/follow-up duration	Effect on hospitalization for HF	Effect on major CV events*
STOP-HF42	Randomized controlled trial with BNP screening versus usual primary treatment	Age > 40 years without HF but with CV disease or CV risk factors	1,374	21 / 4.2 years	OR 0.48 (95% confidence interval  0.20-1.20)	OR 0.60 (95% confidence interval  0.45-0.81)
PONTIAC43	Randomized controlled study, with treatment in a cardiology outpatient clinic for titration of RAAS inhibitors and beta-blockers associated with care in a DM treatment unit versus care in an isolated DM unit	DM2 without known CV disease and NT-proBNP > 125 pg/mL	300	8 / 2 years	HR 0.14 (95% confidence interval  0.02-1.14)	HR 0.35 (95% confidence interval  0.13-0.97)

BNP: brain natriuretic peptide; CV: cardiovascular; DM: diabetes mellitus; HF: heart failure; RAAS: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

^*Major CV events, defined as unplanned hospitalizations for CV causes and deaths.