Galectin 3: Newest Marker of HF Outcomes

Abstract Heart failure is an ever-growing health issue in Western society that affects millions of patients each year. This problem is further exacerbated by high mortality and readmission rates post discharge. Despite recent medical advances, 25 % of patients admitted for heart failure are readmitted within 30 days, and 30 % die within a year. Better risk stratification would decrease such outcomes by identifying patients that require closer follow-up or more aggressive treatment. Galectin-3 is a new heart failure biomarker that has shown great prognostic potential and could aid in such risk stratification. Galectin-3 plays a unique role in the progression of heart failure and is also associated with cardiac remodeling and fibrogenesis, making galectin-3 an effective prognosticator of near and longer term outcomes. This review summarizes the current knowledge about galectin-3 and highlights key studies that demonstrate its prognostic potential. We discuss the potential utility of galectin-3 and suggest that it may be used in conjunction with other heart failure biomarkers. This may provide better risk stratification with the aim of decreasing mortality, healthcare costs, and readmission rates.
Source: Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research