NT-proBNP for Congestive Heart Failure (EXIMPROVECHF Trial)

This will be a multicentre Phase IV study in which patients with chronic HF who are managed and followed by HF/heart functions clinics will be followed over a period of two years. Clinic patients who are recruited into the study will have obligatory blood sampling for the surveillance measurement of NT-proBNP level every three months for a minimum of one year (4 samples). One-half of the subjects in each clinic will be randomized to have these NT-proBNP values made known to the attending clinic physicians and nurses, the other half will have these values blinded. During the study, attending clinic physicians can order open-label NT-proBNP or BNP assays, if available in their institution, to assist the management of their patients if they feel it is clinically needed.