Can BNP-guided therapy improve health-related quality of life, and do responders to BNP-guided heart failure treatment have improved health-related quality of life? Results from the UPSTEP study

Table 4 Changes in Short Form-36 within groups, conventionally treated (CTR) and BNP-guided group and responders versus non-responders. Responder defined as a patient with a BNP under 300 ng/l and/or a decrease in BNP of at least 40 percent in week 16 of follow-up, compared to study start

	Change in Hr-QoL			Within group analysis		Change in Hr-QoL			Within group analysis
	Mean (SD)			Within group analysis		Mean (SD)			Within group analysis
	CTR group	BNP group	p-value	CTR group	BNP group	Responders	Non-responders	p-value	Responders	Non-responders
	n = 98	n = 100	p-value	p-value	p-value	n = 68	n = 32	p-value	p-value	p-value
SF-36
PF	6.2 (±28)	5.7 (±22)	0.88	0.06	<0.01	4.4 (±22)	8.4 (±22)	0.39	0.06	0.03
RP	18.8 (±46)	17.3 (±49)	0.83	<0.001	<0.01	18.5 (±49)	14.5 (±49)	0.71	<0.004	0.11
BP	10.8 (±32)	5.6 (±34)	0.27	<0.001	0.07	7.1 (±35)	2.7 (±32)	0.55	0.07	0.65
GH	4.1 (±22)	2.3 (±17)	0.52	0.08	0.25	1.3 (±17)	4.3 (±17)	0.40	0.55	0.21
VT	7.3 (±27)	9.0 (±23)	0.64	0.03	<0.001	9.6 (±25)	7.7 (±19)	0.71	<0.002	0.06
SF	12.6 (±28)	4.3 (±27)	0.04	<0.0001	0.13	7.3 (±26)	-1.9 (±29)	0.11	0.03	0.75
RE	15.2 (±46)	6.2 (±47)	0.18	<0.01	0.23	6.5 (±26)	5.6 (±55)	0.93	0.21	0.67
MH	4.8 (±21)	5.6 (±19)	0.77	0.04	<0.01	5.8 (±20)	5.3 (±17)	0.91	0.02	0.12
PCS	4.2 (±11)	4.1 (±9)	0.94	0.001	<0.001	4.0 (±10)	4.3 (±9)	0.87	<0.004	<0.03
MCS	4.3 (±12)	2.3 (±11)	0.25	0.002	0.17	2.7 (±11)	1.3 (±12)	0.57	0.10	0.91

Abbreviations: PF Physical functioning, RP Role limitations due to physical health problems, BP Bodily pain, GH General health, VT Vitality, SF Social functioning, RE Role limitations due to emotional health problems, MH Mental health, PCS Physical component score, MCS Mental component score, SD Standard Deviation

ISSN: 1471-2261