Roche Diagnostics India has launched a point-of-care NT-proBNP test to screen diabetes patients at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. This innovation brings testing closer to clinics, aiming to provide faster diagnosis and better management of heart failure in type 2 diabetes patients.
NT-proBNP is a hormone produced by the heart in response to pressure changes. It can help detect, diagnose, and monitor heart failure and other cardiac problems.
India has over 101 million people living with diabetes according to a recent ICMR-INDIAB study. Diabetes patients face significantly higher morbidity and mortality risks. Up to 46% of diabetic patients develop in their lifetime, which accounts for about 50% of mortality in type 2 diabetes patients. Alarmingly, around 30% of diabetics develop heart failure during their life, facing up to 8 times increased risk of death compared to those without this condition.
Despite these grave risks, about 80% of cardiac failure cases are only diagnosed after acute hospitalization, even though patients may have experienced symptoms years earlier. The non-specific nature of these symptoms often leads to delayed detection until advanced stages.
Roche’s NT-proBNP test on the The cobas h 232 POC system is a portable point-of-care system that supports optimized management of patients with symptoms of chest pain and breathlessness by allowing confident on-the-spot decision, enabling early screening and intervention. It allows clinicians to identify high-risk patients and initiate timely treatment discussions. This point-of-care testing brings a breakthrough in diabetes care management.
Dr. Sanjay Kalra, an endocrinologist and past president of the Endocrine Society of India, hailed the incorporation of the NT-proBNP test onto convenient point-of-care platforms as a notable stride in diabetes care.
