Natriuretic Peptides as Adjunctive Biomarkers for the Detection of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

What was studied

This review looked at blood tests called natriuretic peptides. The people had a stroke with no clear cause. The question was whether the tests help spot paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. It is often without symptoms, and long heart monitoring is not widely available. The review used 1616 patients from observational studies.

What they found

The tests were NT-proBNP and BNP. The abstract gives sensitivity and specificity for each. The diagnostic odds ratios were 6.18 for NT-proBNP and 6.10 for BNP. Evidence certainty was low for NT-proBNP. For BNP it was moderate. Findings varied with cutoffs, lab platforms and monitoring methods.

What it means for patients

The authors say these tests may be useful add-ons. They would help judge the risk of this rhythm problem. This is for people with stroke of unclear cause. They say the tests alone should not guide blood thinners. They also should not replace rhythm monitoring.

Why it is not certain yet

All the studies were observational. Evidence certainty was low for one test. The authors say use in step-by-step plans needs testing in future studies.

Source

Natriuretic Peptides as Adjunctive Biomarkers for the Detection of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

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